Iranian president visits Sri Lanka amid interior minister's arrest warrant
- In Reports
- 06:01 PM, Apr 24, 2024
- Myind Staff
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Sri Lanka to inaugurate a power and irrigation project, without his interior minister, who is being sought for arrest in connection with a deadly 1994 bombing.
Raisi proceeded to the island nation after completing a state visit to Pakistan with Ahmad Vahidi, who is accused by Argentina of orchestrating the 1994 attack on a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, resulting in the deaths of 85 people.
Interpol has issued a red notice, requesting police agencies worldwide to detain Vahidi, and Argentina has urged both Pakistan and Sri Lanka to arrest him.
However, the minister was not observed accompanying Raisi, who had arrived in Sri Lanka to inaugurate an Iran-backed power and irrigation project.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported that Vahidi had returned to Iran, where he attended a ceremony to appoint a new provincial governor.
An official from Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry informed AFP that the interior minister was not included in the Iranian delegation.
The 1994 assault, which has never been claimed or solved, has long been suspected by Argentina and Israel to have been carried out by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah at Iran’s request.
Prosecutors charge top Iranian officials for attack, Tehran denies involvement. Court implicates Hezbollah, labels attack "crime against humanity". Raisi arrives in Sri Lanka to inaugurate $514 million Iran-backed project. Sri Lanka cites decade-long delays due to Islamic Republic sanctions.
The majority of the $514 million project was funded by Sri Lanka, following an initial investment of $50 million from the Export Development Bank of Iran in 2010. Construction was undertaken by the Iranian firm Farab.
Raisi's visit symbolised cooperation between Sri Lanka and Iran in a significant infrastructure project. The project involves two reservoirs set to irrigate 4,500 hectares of new land and hydro dam generators with a capacity of 120 megawatts. Additionally, Iran is a significant buyer of Sri Lanka's main export commodity, tea.
Sri Lanka repays a $215 million debt to Iran for oil by exporting tea. The country's sole oil refinery was constructed by Iran in 1969. Raisi's visit to Sri Lanka followed a three-day trip to Pakistan, marked by tit-for-tat missile strikes in January in the Balochistan region.
Tehran initiated the strikes against an anti-Iran group within Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to retaliate by targeting "militant targets" inside Iran. Both nations have accused each other of harbouring militants along their borders.
Image source: Arab News
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