Sri Lanka may be compelled to buy more oil from Russia as the island nation hunts for fuel amid an unprecedented economic crisis, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says
Sri Lanka may be compelled to buy more oil from Russia as the island nation hunts desperately for fuel amid an unprecedented economic crisis, the newly appointed prime minister has said.
“If we can get from any other sources, we will get from there. Otherwise may have to go to Russia again,” he said.Wickremesinghe also indicated he would be willing to accept more financial help from China, despite his country’s mounting debt. Sri Lanka is also seeking financial assistance from the World Food Programme, which may send a team to the country soon, and Wickremesinghe is banking on a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund. READ MORE:And while he acknowledged that Sri Lanka’s current predicament is of “its own making,” he said the conflict in Ukraine is making it even worse — and that dire food shortages could continue until 2024.
Appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resolve an economic crisis that has nearly emptied the country’s foreign exchange reserves, Wickremesinghe was sworn in after days of violent protests last month forced his predecessor, Rajapaksa’s brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, to step down and seek safety from angry crowds at a naval base.
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