Colombo: Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for dispatching an emergency oil shipment to alleviate fuel supply disruptions in the island nation triggered by the West Asia conflict.
He also thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for his steadfast support.
In a social media post, Dissanayake detailed his recent conversation with the Indian leader, stating: “Spoke with PM @narendramodi a few days ago about the fuel supply disruptions Sri Lanka is facing due to the Middle East conflict. Grateful for India’s swift support. 38,000 MT of fuel arrived in Colombo yesterday.”
The shipment, comprising 20,000 MT of diesel and 18,000 MT of petrol, docked in Colombo on Saturday as urgent aid facilitated by Indian Oil Corporation’s local subsidiary, Lanka IOC (LIOC), PTI reported.
The LIOC had requested rescue supplies from India after encountering problems in securing fuel from their Middle Eastern and Singapore suppliers.
The president extended his appreciation to Jaishankar as well, noting: “My thanks also to EAM @DrSJaishankar for his close coordination.” This gesture builds on earlier bilateral talks where Sri Lanka sought India’s assistance for energy sustainability amid escalating volatility in West Asia.
Since March 15, Sri Lanka has enforced strict fuel quotas to prevent long queues caused by hoarders, with several offenders now facing court charges across the country.
