New Delhi, Dec. 23 -- India will extend a Rs.4,040 crore assistance package to Sri Lanka to support cyclone relief, reconstruction and infrastructure repair, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced on Tuesday (23 December), underlining New Delhi's stepped-up engagement as the island nation grapples with the aftermath of a devastating natural disaster.

Speaking during a two-day visit to Colombo, Jaishankar said the aid comes at a particularly difficult moment for Sri Lanka, which had only recently begun stabilising after its 2022 economic crisis.

"Just as Sri Lanka was recovering from the economic crisis of 2022, this natural disaster has created new difficulties," Jaishankar said, speaking alongside Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister...