COLOMBO: Emmanuel Macron, who became the first ever French President to visit Sri Lanka, has pledged strong support for the island nation’s ongoing debt restricting process which will help the country recover from its worst-ever financial crisis. As part of his wider visit to the South Pacific Region, Macron arrived in Colombo on Friday following which he held talks with his Sri Lankan counter-part Ranil Wickremesinghe.
“President Macron reaffirmed France’s willingness and commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in its economic recovery. As the fourth-largest creditor to Sri Lanka, France pledged its assistance in the debt restructuring process, aiming for a positive outcome for the country,” the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement.
In a Twitter post following the discussions, the French leader said: “Sri Lanka and France are two nations in Indian Ocean sharing the same goal: an open, inclusive and prosper indo-pacific. In Colombo we confirmed it: strong as in our 75 years of diplomatic rela-tions, we would open a new era to our partnership,”.
During the discussion between the two leaders which lasted about an hour, Wickremesinghe expressed admiration for France’s significant role in global affairs, particularly in areas such as climate mitigation, global debt restructuring, and matters related to the Indo-Pacific region. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in various sectors, including politics, economics, tourism, climate change, sustainable development, and maritime activities.
Marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, several specific areas for further collaboration were identified which included the establishment of a school for maritime safety and security; opening of a permanent office for the French Agency for Development (AFD) in Sri Lanka; initiation of high-level diplomatic dialogues;cooperation in the education sector; and the enhancement of efforts to combat human trafficking in the maritime safety and security sector, the PMD added.
“Additionally, both leaders exchanged views on topics of regional and multilateral interest in the current global context. President Macron expressed keen interest in collaborating with Sri Lanka during its upcoming chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), of which France is a member. In turn, President Wickremesinghe showed interest in the Indian Ocean Commission, where France actively participates,” it added. (IANS)
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