India in talks with Sri Lanka over its request for debt relief: MEA

India on Thursday said it was holding talks with Sri Lanka over its request for postponement of repayment of debt. " matter has progressed and technical level discussions are presently underway," Spokesperson in Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said. He was responding to a question on issue at an online media briefing.

Sri Lanka is reeling under a major ecomic crisis and has requested several countries and international dors, including India to provide debt relief. Asked about reports of Chinese envoy to Nepal Hou Yanqi meeting several leers in Nepal and wher she was meddling in country's political turmoil, Srivastava refused to comment.

“I have comment to offer on internal political situation of Nepal,” he said.

Replying to a question on Enrica Lexie case, Srivastava said re was delay on part of Ministry of External Affairs in informing Supreme Court and Kerala government about verdict of an international tribunal on it. tribunal in its judgment said that two Italian marines who shot de two Indian fishermen cant be tried in an Indian court. It, however, upheld conduct of Indian authorities following incident in 2012.

India accused two Italian marines, Salvatore Girone and Massimilia Latorre, on board MV Enrica Lexie, an Italian flagged oil tanker, of shooting de two Indian fishermen who were on a fishing vessel off Kerala in India’s Exclusive Ecomic Zone (EEZ). incident h taken place off Kerala coast on February 15, 2012.