‘Grateful for India’s swift support’: Sri Lanka President thanks PM Modi for fuel aid amid Middle East crisis

NEW DELHI: India has supplied 38,000 metric tonnes of fuel to Sri Lanka, including 20,000 MT of diesel and 18,000 MT of petrol, to ease supply disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, with the shipment arriving in Colombo on Saturday as emergency support via Lanka IOC. The move follows recent talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as the island nation grapples with fuel shortages triggered by volatility in key supply regions.“Spoke with PM @narendramodi a few days ago about the fuel supply disruptions Sri Lanka is facing due to the Middle East conflict. Grateful for India’s swift support. 38,000 MT of fuel arrived in Colombo yesterday,” Dissanayake said in a post on X.He further added, “My thanks also to EAM @DrSJaishankar for his close coordination.”The emergency consignment was arranged after Lanka IOC faced difficulties sourcing fuel from suppliers in the Middle East and Singapore, prompting a request for assistance from India. Earlier, Sri Lanka had also engaged with external affairs minister S Jaishankar to explore support on energy sustainability amid the crisis.Facing supply pressures, Sri Lanka imposed fuel quotas from March 15 to prevent hoarding and long queues, with authorities taking legal action against violators. The country’s energy ministry has, however, said that existing supplies are sufficient to last until the end of May.