"The restoration of stability and economic development of Sri Lanka, which is at a strategic location in the Indian Ocean, is essential for the stability and prosperity of the entire Indo-Pacific region," says Japan's foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa after meeting her Sri Lankan counterpart in Colombo. The Sri Lankan government which defaulted on its $46 billion external debt in April 2022 had hoped to finalise deals with foreign creditors by April but there have been no final agreements yet. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES