Won't do anything to hurt India's security: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the country's relationship with India does not depend on New Delhi's ties with China, adding that the island nation won't do anything to hurt India's security.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Wickremesinghe said, "India worried about its own security. Sri Lanka won't do anything to hurt its security."

When asked about his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, Wickremesinghe said, "I have known Narendra Modi since he was a chief minister. Our vision was a step forward. We talked about trade and investment."

He also highlighted India's help when the country underwent an economic crisis last year. In May, India extended a $1bn credit line for Sri Lanka by a year. The credit line is part of the $4bn in emergency assistance extended by India.

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Talking about the upcoming general election in India, the Sri Lankan president said, "Let’s see what the state elections say.  BJP has the advantage, it is a single party led by a single leader. Sri Lanka must live with what happens in New Delhi."

Commenting on the current economy in Sri Lanka, Wickremesinghe said, "We are not out of the woods yet but will come out. We still have to balance the budget and trade and increase our revenues. I hope things will get better in 2024-2025. We can't go on in transitional mode and need a new economy."

Catch the full interview on Firstpost.com at 9 pm.