External Affairs Minister says Sri Lankan situation very sensitive, complicated

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday described as "very sensitive and very complicated" the situation prevailing in Sri Lanka and said India's focus right now is on the economic aspects of the neighbouring country.

The Minister said New Delhi's commitment and support is for the friendly people of the island nation and it wanted to help them to go through a very difficult phase of their life.

"The situation in Sri Lanka is very sensitive, it is very complicated. Even as we speak many developments are taking place," the Minister said while reacting to a query in a meet-the-press programme organised by the press club and journalists' union here. Jaishankar said India had been extremely supportive of the people of Sri Lanka in the last few months.

"What I can tell you is that our commitment, our support is for the Sri Lankan people because they are our neighbours, they are friendly people. We want to help them to go through a very difficult phase of their life and because of this feeling of friendship, we have been extremely supportive of them in the last few months," he said.

Asked about the possibility of India offering asylum to key members of the erstwhile powerful Rajapaksa family, who were attempting to flee in the face of massive public anger against them for mishandling the economy that has left the country bankrupt, the Minister said India's focus right now is on the Sri Lankan economic situation and it was not involved in other matters.

"Our focus right now is on the Sri Lankan economic situation, how can we help them. We are not involved in the other matters," Jaishankar said.

On Sunday, the External Affairs Minister had said India had committed USD 3.8 billion for the support of Sri Lanka during the latter's economic crisis which had been building up over a period of time.

The Union minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a neighbourhood first policy where the government makes special efforts to try and support the country's neighbours in a manner that meets their requirements.