Indian fuel shipment to arrive in Lanka on Saturday: Officials
A combined shipment of 38,000 metric tonnes of diesel and petrol is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka from India on Saturday, the Indian High Commission said on Friday.
The fuel shipment will arrive at the Colombo Harbour as a result of the telephone conversation held on March 24 between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The shipment of 38,000 MT, comprising 20,000 MT of diesel and 18,000 MT of petrol, will arrive here as emergency support through the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) local operation, Lanka IOC (LIOC).
Sri Lanka held talks with the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for help on energy sustainability in view of the volatile situation in West Asia.
With the outbreak of the war, fuel rationing was introduced, with public services observing a four-day week as contingency measures.
Starting February 28, the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran, which in turn retaliated, spreading the war to the entire Gulf region. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important choke point for the world’s energy supplies.
The strait, a narrow shipping lane that connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean, remains effectively closed, bringing to a near halt the transit of hundreds of vessels per day, including container, dry bulk and liquid cargo ships.
