Wednesday Nov 06, 2024
FT
Wednesday Nov 06, 2024
Monday, 31 July 2023 00:11 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Japan on Saturday appeared non-committal about bilateral discussions on investment projects such as LRT though the Government communique was explicit.
The visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Saturday discussed issues of bilateral and regional interest over breakfast that spanned 75 minutes.
According to the brief statement issued by the Japanese Embassy the overview of the bilateral discussions is as follows.
“At the outset, President Wickremesinghe welcomed Minister Hayashi’s visit. In response, Minister Hayashi stated that the fact that President Wickremesinghe visited Japan twice during his first year in office symbolises the deepening bilateral relationship between the two countries
Minister Hayashi expressed his hope for further progress in the debt restructuring process and underscored the importance of a transparent and comparable debt restructuring that involves all creditor countries.
President Wickremesinghe stated that he will take at most care to the transparency and comparability of the debt restructuring, and reiterated his appreciation for Japan›s contribution to the discussions on debt restructuring.
“Minister Hayashi stated that Japan attaches great importance to cooperation with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which Sri Lanka will chair from October. President Wickremesinghe welcomed Japan’s proactive contribution as the IORA chair. They also candidly exchanged views on bilateral relations, regional situations including East Asia, and cooperation on economy.”
However the communique by the President Media Division stated: “Significant aspects of their talks revolved around key areas of cooperation, namely the Light Rail Transit (LRT), the East Terminal, the Kandy Development Plan, Central Highway, and the expansion of the Bandaranaike International Airport. Both parties expressed the importance of expediting the implementation of these projects.”
