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Colombo, 23rd December (PTI) India has handed over 125 SUVs to the Sri Lankan police under a credit line as part of its ongoing efforts to support the cash-strapped island nation and address police concerns over non-availability of the vehicles.
As part of its “neighborhood first” policy, India has provided Sri Lanka with multi-pronged assistance over the past 12 months to help the country weather its worst economic and humanitarian crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.
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On Thursday, Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay handed over 125 SUVs to Sri Lankan Public Security Minister Tiran Alles in an official ceremony for use by the Sri Lankan police.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said on Twitter that another 375 SUVs will be sent to Colombo under the existing credit line.
“India continues to support Sri Lanka. 125 Mahindra SUVs are ceremoniously handed over by the High Commissioner to the Hon. Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles, Sri Lanka. Police for 2 days. More of the 500 state-of-the-art SUVs under existing credit line coming soon! The contract was signed earlier this year,” it said in a tweet.
Alles said the Sri Lankan police faced serious movement restriction problems due to the inability to replenish the fleet for the past three years, making the vehicles unusable.
India’s support includes nearly $4 billion in economic assistance to help ensure food, health and energy security in Sri Lanka by providing essentials such as food, medicines, fuel and kerosene.
The two countries are currently negotiating a crucial debt restructuring plan, a necessary prerequisite for a deal between Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund.
Sri Lanka reached a staff-level agreement with global lenders on a four-year, $2.9 billion rescue package in September.
The Sri Lankan government appointed international legal and debt advisers in May to undertake a debt restructuring after declaring a default on its international debt for the first time in history.
Sri Lanka is on the verge of bankruptcy, suspending repayments on $51 billion in foreign debt, $28 billion of which must be repaid until 2027.
Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, was plunged into financial and political turmoil earlier this year by a shortage of foreign currency.
Due to these factors, the country has been unable to afford key imports including fuel, fertilizers and medicines, leading to long queues.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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