About 45 billion rupees will be loaned for the second phase of the Bandaranaike International Airport Development Project to improve and modernize facilities and build a second passenger terminal.
This was aimed at coping with the increased air traffic and transforming the airport as a main commercial and business hub in the region, the statement said.
In 1999 Japan provided 12,384 million Yen for improving the facilities of the airport including the construction of a modern departure passenger terminal currently in use.
Japan will also loan 3,935 million Yen (about six billion rupees) for improving health facilities in the country.
This includes strengthening the drug production capacity of the State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation to resolve drug shortages in state hospitals, upgrading rural hospitals, an