Modi, Maithri in phone pow-wow over petrol

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena of all possible assistance to resolve the fuel crisis in the country.

In a telephone conversation that took place yesterday between Prime Minister Modi and President Sirisena, the Indian Premier has assured that India will extend all possible assistance in response to Sri Lanka’s request for emergency petrol shipments.

Lanka IOC, the Sri Lankan unit of Indian Oil Corporation had offered 3,500 kiloliters of petrol from its own stock to state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), the Indian High Commission in Colombo said.

Meanwhile, a ship with 21,000 kiloliters of petrol had left India for Sri Lanka, according to the High Commission.

Additional petrol would also be made available from a refinery in Kochi, and further shipments of petrol would be supplied if needed, the Indian Premier has assured.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Arjuna Ranatunga yesterday said that the fuel problem can be solved completely by Thursday as a fuel shipment for CPC is due to arrive tonight.