India to double its high-impact community development project in Sri Lanka

India on Friday agreed to double its high-impact community development project in Sri Lanka with a new bilateral agreement signed during the much-anticipated visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to the debt-trapped island nation, met top leaders to enhance bilateral ties and finalise a debt restructuring plan to help Colombo carve out a path from its economic crisis.

"This agreement related to community development projects in Sri Lanka with the support of the government of India was signed in May 2005. Its project limit was rupees 300 million which will now be doubled to rupees 600 million by the agreement signed today," a statement from President Ranil Wickremesinghe's office said.

Jaishankar also handed over 300 completed houses in the Galle, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya districts in the housing project implemented by India.

Wickremesinghe's office said that during the talks special attention was paid to the debt restructuring program