China to speed up Hambantota harbour project: GL

Export Development and International Trade Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris told Parliament yesterday that the Chinese government has decided to accelerate the development work of the Hambantota harbour.

Prof. Peiris said it was a myth that the international community had been hostile to Sri Lanka. He asserted that China and Japan showed a keen interest in Sri Lanka at this hour during his meetings with the political and business leaders of these two countries.

The Minister pointed out that China is involved in three major projects here such as the Coal Power Project in Norochcholai.

“Japan is carrying out the construction of major bridges here. They also have a project to upgrade the facilities available at the Anuradhapura hospital,” he said.

Referring to the extension of the GSP + facility to Sri Lanka, he said that it is indeed useful to have it to facilitate the access of 7100 Sri Lankan export items to 27 European countries.

However, he emphasized that the government was not ready to barter the country’s sovereignty to get this facility extended.

“However, we engage in a discussion with the European Commission through normal diplomatic channels,” he said

Commenting on the Stand by Arrangement of US $ 1.9 billion, he said the government hopes that the IMF would consider only the technical circumstances but not political circumstances in granting this loan. He said Sri Lanka is entitled to have this loan.