Sri Lanka may have to buy oil from Russia まっただ中に 経済的な 危機, says PM
Sri Lanka may be compelled to buy more oil from Russia as the island nation 追跡（する）s 猛烈に for 燃料 まっただ中に an 前例のない 経済的な 危機, its newly 任命するd 首相 has said.
Ranil Wickremesinghe said he will look first to other sources, but is open to buying more 天然のまま from Moscow. Western nations have 大部分は 削減（する） off energy 輸入するs from Russia in line with 許可／制裁s over its war on ウクライナ共和国.
In a wide-範囲ing interview with The Associated 圧力（をかける） on Saturday, Mr Wickremesinghe also 示すd he would be willing to 受託する more 財政上の help from 中国, にもかかわらず his country’s 開始するing 負債.
While he 定評のある Sri Lanka’s 現在の predicament is of “its own making”, he said the war in ウクライナ共和国 is making it even worse ? and 悲惨な food 不足s could continue until 2024. He said Russia has also 申し込む／申し出d wheat to Sri Lanka.
Mr Wickremesinghe, who is also Sri Lanka’s 大蔵大臣, spoke to the AP in his office in the 資本／首都 Colombo, one day shy of a month after he took over for a sixth time as 首相.
任命するd by 大統領 Gotabaya Rajapaksa to 解決する an 経済的な 危機 that has nearly emptied the country’s foreign 交流 reserves, Mr Wickremesinghe was sworn in after days of violent 抗議するs last month 軍隊d his 前任者, Mr Rajapaksa’s brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, to step 負かす／撃墜する and 捜し出す safety from angry （人が）群がるs at a 海軍の base.
Sri Lanka has amassed $51 billion in foreign 負債, but has 一時停止するd 返済 of nearly $7 billion 予定 this year.
The 鎮圧するing 負債 has left the country with no money for basic 輸入するs, which means 国民s are struggling to 接近 basic necessities such as food, 燃料, 薬／医学 ? even 洗面所 paper and matches.
The 不足s have spawned rolling 力／強力にする outages, and people have been 軍隊d to wait days for cooking gas and 燃料 in 列s that stretch for miles.
Two weeks ago, the country bought a large 出荷／船積み of ロシアの 天然のまま to 再開する its onl y 精油所, the energy 大臣 told reporters.
Mr Wickremesinghe did not comment 直接／まっすぐに on those 報告（する）／憶測s, and said he does not know whether more orders are in the pipeline. But he said Sri Lanka 猛烈に needs 燃料, and is 現在／一般に trying to get oil and coal from the country’s 伝統的な 供給者s in the Middle East.
“If we can get from any other sources, we will get from there,” he said. “さもなければ (we) may have to go to Russia again.”
公式の／役人s are 交渉するing with 私的な 供給者s, but Mr Wickremesinghe said one 問題／発行する they 直面する is that “there is a lot of oil going around which can be sourced 支援する 非公式に to Iran or to Russia”.
He 追加するd: “いつかs we may not know what oil we are buying. Certainly we are looking at the 湾 as our main 供給（する）.”
Since Russia’s 侵略 of ウクライナ共和国 in late February, 全世界の oil prices have 急上昇するd. While Washington and its 同盟（する）s are trying to 削減（する） 財政上の flows supporting Moscow’s war 成果／努力, Russia is 申し込む／申し出ing its 天然のまま at a 法外な 割引, making it 極端に enticing to a number of countries.
Like some other South Asian nations, Sri Lanka has remained 中立の on the war in Europe.
Sri Lanka has received and continues to reach out to 非常に／多数の countries for help ― 含むing the most 議論の的になる, 中国, 現在／一般に the country’s third-largest creditor.
対立 人物／姿／数字s have （刑事）被告 the 大統領，／社長 and the former 首相 of taking on a slew of Chinese 貸付金s for splashy 組織／基盤／下部構造 事業／計画（する）s that have since failed to 生成する 利益（をあげる）, instead 追加するing to the country’s 負債.
Critics have also pointed to a beleaguered port in the hometown of then-大統領，／社長 Mahinda Rajapaksa, Hambantota, built along with a nearby airport as part of 中国’s Belt and Road 率先 事業／計画（する）s, 説 they cost too much and do too little for the economy.
“We need to identify what are the 事業／計画（する）s that we need for 経済的な 回復 and take 貸付金s for those 事業／計画（する）s, whether it be from 中国 or from others,” Mr Wickremesinghe said. “It’s a question of where do we （軍隊を）展開する，配備する the 資源s?”
The 首相 said his 政府 has been talking with 中国 about 再編成 its 負債s. Beijing had earlier 申し込む／申し出d to lend the country more money but 妨げるd at cutting the 負債, かもしれない out of 関心 that other borrowers would 需要・要求する the same 救済.
“中国 has agreed to come in with the other countries to give 救済 to Sri Lanka, which is a first step,” Mr Wickremesinghe said. “This means they all have to agree (on) how the 削減（する）s are to take place and in what manner they should take place.”
Sri Lanka is also 捜し出すing 財政上の 援助 from the World Food Programme, which may send a team to the country soon, and Mr Wickremesinghe is banking on a bailout 一括 from the International 通貨の 基金. But even if 認可するd, he does not 推定する／予想する to see money from the 一括 until October onwards.
Mr Wickremesinghe said: “The ウクライナ共和国 危機 has 衝撃d our… 経済的な 収縮過程,” he said, 追加するing that he thinks the economy will 縮む even その上の before the country can begin to recoup and 再構築する next year.
“I think by the end of the year, you could see the 衝撃 in other countries” 同様に, he said. “There is a 全世界の 不足 of food. Countries are not 輸出（する）ing food.”
