債務協議「全ての国が参加を」　日スリランカ外相が会談

　スリランカ訪問中の林芳正外相は２９日（日本時間同日）、最大都市コロンボでサブリ外相と会談し、経済危機に直面するスリランカの債務問題について協議した。日本外務省によると、林氏は最大の債権国である中国を念頭に「全ての債権国が参加する透明かつ公平な債務再編の重要性」を改めて指摘。サブリ氏は日本の貢献に謝意を示した。
　スリランカは中国の巨額融資の返済に窮する「債務のわな」に陥り、日本が主導する多国間会合で救済協議が進行中。ただ、中国はオブザーバー参加にとどまっている。（2023/07/29-22:02）

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Saturday it is important for all creditors to financial crisis-hit Sri Lanka to join the negotiations to restructure the country's debts in a transparent and fair manner.
   Hayashi made the comment apparently with China, the biggest creditor to Sri Lanka, in mind, during his talks with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in Colombo, the largest city in Sri Lanka.
   Sabry expressed gratitude for Japan's contributions to efforts to resolve Sri Lanka's debt problem.
   Sri Lanka fell victim to China's so-called debt trap diplomacy, in which the country increases its influence over aid recipient nations by making them heavily indebted. While talks to rescue the South Asian country are continuing under a multinational framework led by Japan, China has been participating in the negotiations only as an observer.
   In the meeting with Sabry, Hayashi stressed that Sri Lanka is an important partner of Japan in advancing efforts to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.