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Bankrupt Sri Lanka asks Putin for fuel, tourists

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Agence France-Presse 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Passengers hang on  EPA-EFE" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/tvpatrol/07/06/colombo,-sri-lanka.jpg"/><figcaption>Passengers hang on to an overcrowded bus amid a fuel shortage in Colombo, Sri Lanka, June 30, 2022. <em>Chamila Karunarathne, EPA-EFE</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>COLOMBO — Sri Lanka has asked Russia to provide fuel and resume tourist flights to help the country weather its unprecedented economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said Wednesday. </p><p>The island nation has suffered months of blackouts, rampant inflation and critical shortages of food and petrol after running out of foreign currency to finance imports. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/07/05/22/this-is-the-reality-sri-lanka-admits-bankruptcy">Sri Lanka admits bankruptcy, crisis to drag through 2023</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/07/06/22/bankrupt-sri-lankas-inflation-jumps-beyond-50-percent">Bankrupt Sri Lanka&#x27;s inflation jumps beyond 50 percent</a></li></ul><p>Rajapaksa said he had spoken with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to ask for supplies of urgently needed fuel on loan and to &quot;humbly&quot; request the resumption of flights between Moscow and Colombo.</p><p>&quot;We unanimously agreed that strengthening bilateral relations in sectors such as tourism, trade &amp; culture was paramount in reinforcing the friendship our two nations share.&quot;</p><p>Aeroflot suspended flights last month after a Sri Lankan court briefly detained an Airbus belonging to the state-owned airline&#x27;s fleet over a payment dispute. </p><p>The United States and European Union have both imposed embargoes on Russian oil in response to the country&#x27;s February invasion of Ukraine.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/03/08/22/moscow-ban-on-russian-oil-to-have-catastrophic-effect">Moscow warns: Ban on Russian oil will have ‘catastrophic consequences’</a></li></ul><p>Sri Lanka had bought around 90,000 tonnes of Siberian crude in May through an intermediary in Dubai, but ran out of dollars to purchase more.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/07/04/22/sri-lanka-grinds-to-a-halt-as-fuel-reserves-shrink">Sri Lanka grinds to a halt as fuel reserves shrink</a></li></ul><p>Russia and Ukraine were among the top sources of tourists for Sri Lanka before February&#x27;s conflict began.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/04/26/22/cash-strapped-sri-lanka-to-sell-golden-visas">Cash-strapped Sri Lanka to sell &#x27;golden&#x27; visas</a></li></ul><p>Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic downturn since it gained independence from Britain in 1948.</p><p>The government defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April and is in bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.</p><p>European nations, Australia and the United States have asked their citizens to <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/07/06/22/uk-warns-against-non-essential-travel-to-sri-lanka">avoid travelling</a> to Sri Lanka because of the deepening crisis.</p><p>The country has almost entirely run out of petrol and diesel, with non-essential government offices and schools ordered shut in an effort to conserve limited supplies of fuel.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2054272" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Sri Lanka has asked Russia to provide fuel and resume tourist flights to help the country weather its unprecedented economic crisis.