Sri Lanka, March 8 -- Japan yesterday became the first bilateral creditor among the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) to restructure Sri Lanka's bilateral external debt worth US $ 2.5 billion and unlocking doors to new projects. The signing of the bilateral Amendment Agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Exchange of Notes with the government of Japan, in relation to the External Debt Restructuring Process, concluded at the Finance Ministry in Colombo yesterday. The Exchange of Notes was signed by Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry Secretary K.M. Mahinda Siriwardana and Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Isomata Akio, on behalf of the government of Japan. A further bilateral Amendment Agreement ...