Japan’s PM expresses confidence in Ranil’s leadership in steering SL out of crisis

Monday, 8 August 2022 04:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has extended his heartiest congratulations to newly elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Hideaki Mizukoshi, who called on the President last Friday, delivered the letter of congratulation from Prime Minister Kishida.

In the congratulatory message, the Japanese Prime Minister extending the best wishes of the Japanese people and the Government said he is happy to see that Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has been dedicated to the economic and social development of Sri Lanka for a long time, become the President.

Expressing confidence in the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to create political stability in the country, the Japanese Prime Minister hoped that the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and the debt restructuring process will proceed successfully.

The Prime Minister of Japan expressed confidence that through economic stability and administrative reforms, the crises faced by the Government of Sri Lanka will end very soon and as a service centre in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka can be made into a state with great development.

Recalling that the two countries are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations, the Prime Minister has also informed that he is eager to work with President Ranil Wickremesinghe for the development of Japan-Sri Lanka cooperation as well as a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

At the meeting with the President, Ambassador Mizukoshi expressed appreciation for highlighting the friendship between Sri Lanka and Japan during his speech delivered at the Parliament on 3 August, and also for the respect paid for the demise of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

President Wickremesinghe and Ambassador Mizukoshi exchanged views on a wide range of topics and discussed the ways to strengthen the long-standing friendship between Sri Lanka and Japan.

The discussions covered a series of upcoming events, which will highlight the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Japan.

Ambassador Mizukoshi also emphasised Japan’s continuous cooperation in various fields, such as people-to-people exchange and foreign investment for the renewable energy, which will be a help for the people of Sri Lanka to overcome this economic crisis and grow further.