SRI LANKA’S NEW PM SOON AFTER TAKING UP CHARGE SAYS, “THANK YOU PM MODI”

Colombo(The Quiver) : Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn-in as Sri Lanka’s new prime minister on Thursday as the former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned following violent protests over the worst economic crisis in the debt-ridden island nation.

The 73-year-old United National Party (UNP) leader was appointed as the Prime Minister by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after they held closed-door discussions on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe soon after taking up the charge thanked India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing economic assistance to the country as it is going through the worst economic crisis since independence. He also said he looks forward to closer ties with India during his term .

“I want a closer relationship and I want to thank Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi,” Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said, referring to the Indian economic assistance to his country.

Ranil Wickremesinghe became the 26th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to stabilise the country’s debt-ridden economy and end the political turmoil.

Wickremesinghe is widely accepted as a man who could manage the economy with far-sighted policies, and is perceived as the Sri Lankan politician who could command international cooperation.