NEW DELHI/COLOMBO: The government on Tuesday said India has done more than any other entity to help Sri Lanka in the crisis, underlining that China was not even in the "comparison zone". At an all-party meeting, foreign minister S Jaishankar said the island neighbour will have to settle terms of bailout with the IMF, and undertake serious austerity measures and reforms to lay the ground for a possible recovery.
He added that the onerous terms of Chinese debt were impacting the overall debt serviceability of the country.
Jaishankar told the all-party meeting in Delhi that India was worried about the situation.
"It is a matter which pertains to a very close neighbour and given the near proximity, we naturally worry about the consequences, the spillover it has for us," Jaishankar said.
The Indian high commission in a tweet said relations between the people of India and Sri Lanka have always been cordial and friendly. "In the current situation, #Indian nationals in #SriLanka are requested to remain aware of latest developments and accordingly plan their movements and activities. You may contact us when required," it said.
The high commission sa- id its officials met "Vivek Varma, an Indian national and director of Indian visa centre, who sustained grievous injuries in an unprovoked assault last night near Colombo". The matter had been brought to the attention of Lankan authorities, it said.
It is probably the first time that an Indian had been attacked since anti-government protests erupted in Lanka in March.
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