Sri Lankan Authorities’ engagement with Ambassadors of Bilateral Creditor Countries

Sri Lankan Authorities’ engagement with
Ambassadors of Bilateral Creditor Countries

Honourable President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with the High Commissioners, Ambassadors and other representatives of Sri Lanka’s bilateral creditor countries today to discuss the financial assistance programme for which the Government of Sri Lanka has reached a Staff-level Agreement with the IMF and in the broader context, as Sri Lankan authorities’ engagement with the country’s bilateral creditors in view of the forthcoming negotiations on Sri Lanka’s external public debt restructuring.

In the speech he delivered, Honourable President made an appeal to all creditor countries to provide their support in obtaining the financing assurances which are critical in the adoption of the financial assistance programme by the IMF Board as soon as possible.

Honourable President Wickremesinghe encouraged bilateral creditor coordination that would help accelerate the discussions on achieving debt sustainability and ensure comparability of treatment among all creditors.

The Central Bank Governor Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance, Mr. Mahinda Siriwardana, presented  the current macroeconomic and social challenges faced by Sri Lanka and the main objectives of the financial assistance programme with the IMF.

Honourable President Wickremesinghe expressed his sincere appreciation to all the bilateral partners for their continued support in these difficult times and assured of his Government’s commitment to pursue the engagement with all creditors in a collaborative and a transparent manner and to implement the necessary reforms to support the country’s economic recovery.