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PM Modi discusses West Asia conflict fallout with Sri Lankan President Dissanayake
Sri Lanka has approached New Delhi for additional fuel supplies to tide over the impact of disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday discussed the fallout of the West Asia conflict, especially the impact on energy security, and ways to enhance bilateral energy cooperation.
Sri Lanka is among India’s neighbours that have approached New Delhi in recent days for additional fuel supplies to tide over the impact of disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz because of the West Asia conflict.
Modi said on social media that he and Dissanayake discussed the evolving situation in West Asia, “with particular focus on disruptions affecting global energy security”.
The two leaders “reviewed progress on key initiatives aimed at strengthening India-Sri Lanka energy cooperation and enhancing regional security”, Modi said. “As close and trusted partners, we reaffirmed our commitment to work closely together in addressing shared challenges,” he added.
Dissanayake said in a social media post that the conversation focused on the “escalating situation in the Middle East” and its “impact on regional and global supply chains, as well as energy cooperation and regional security between our two nations”.
The Sri Lankan government has warily watched the economic ramifications of the West Asia conflict at a time when the island nation is focused on rebuilding its economy after one of the worst balance of payments crises in decades. The country’s security has also been impacted by the sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine near Sri Lanka’s coast, marking a dramatic widening of the conflict beyond West Asia.
