iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
This comes as many Sri Lankans make desperate bids to flee the crisis-ridden island
KT APPDOWNLOAD
US urges Sri Lanka leaders to 'work quickly' to address 'discontent'
It has offered to support the once-prosperous island as it grapples with food and fuel shortages
Photo: Reuters File
The United States on Sunday urged Sri Lankan leaders to act quickly to seek long-term solutions after the president was chased from his residence and announced his resignation.
As President Gotabaya Rajapaksa prepares to step down, the United States calls on "the Sri Lankan parliament to approach this juncture with a commitment to the betterment of the nation -- not any one political party," a State Department spokesperson said as Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Thailand.
"We urge this government or any new, constitutionally selected government to work quickly to identify and implement solutions that will achieve long-term economic stability and address the Sri Lankan people's discontent over the worsening economic conditions, including power, food and fuel shortages."
The United States warned against attacks on protesters or journalists, but also criticised violence on Saturday as a mob stormed Rajapaksa's residence.
"The Sri Lankan people have the right to peacefully raise their voices, and we call for the full investigation, arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in any protest-related violent incidents," the spokesperson said.
Rajapaksa has had a rocky relationship with the United States over his dismissal of allegations of war crimes in the bloody finale of Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war and his close economic partnership with China.
Both the United States and China have offered in recent weeks to support the once-prosperous island as it grapples with unprecedented fuel and food shortages.
ALSO READ:
More news from Sri Lanka Crisis
Wickremesinghe highlighted that the unrest had delayed a possible deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
This year marks the 65th anniversary since the establishment of a diplomatic relationship between the two nations
Former president fled from the country on July 13
Wickremesinghe is expected to expand 18-member cabinet to accommodate members from opposition
President Wickremesinghe had initially aimed to reach a deal by early August
Residents wait days for petrol, form mini-communities in lines
The island needs to enact structural reforms, the authority says