US PDASD’s discussions with Sri Lankan defence officials were centred around matters of further strengthening the existing ties between the US and Sri Lanka…reports Asian Lite News
Visiting top-level US defence delegation discussed defence cooperation enhancement and regional security stability with Sri Lanka’s defence officials here on Thursday.
The delegation led by US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs (PDASD), Jedidiah P. Royal, held discussions with the Sri Lanka Minister of Defence, Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, and Defence Secretary, General Kamal Gunaratne.
Accompanied by Defence Attache of the US Embassy, Lt. Col. Anthony Nelson, US PDASD’s discussions with Sri Lankan defence officials were centred around matters of further strengthening the existing ties between the US and Sri Lanka, the Defence Ministry stated.
Assistant Defence Attache in the US Embassy, Seth Nevins, US South Asia Desk Officer Lt. Col. Christian Mitchell and Sri Lankan Defence Ministry’s Senior Assistant Secretary, Harsha Withanarachchi, were also present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday said he is hopeful that the country will receive the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board approval for a 2.9 billion US dollar bailout package by March.
Addressing an event organised by a private university in Colombo, the president said the Sri Lankan economy is now stabilising and it will be able to begin the debt restructuring process soon, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Wickremesinghe added that the country needs to have political stability to carry out the debt restructuring process.
He said that Sri Lanka reached a preliminary agreement with the IMF to receive an extended fund facility (EFF) program in 2022.
Sri Lanka suspended external debt repayment in April 2022 and entered negotiations with the IMF for a bailout package.