Referring to the current foreign reserves crisis in the country, Foreign Minister G.L Peiris requested the Sri Lankan community in Italy to send some of their earnings back to Sri Lanka. This appeal was made when Peiris, along with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapksa met with the Sri Lankan community in Italy yesterday (15). “At this juncture you have a vital role to play for your country. We usually receive $4.2 billion annually from tourism. That is not the case now. It would be a great help if you could send some of your earnings to recover from the crisis,” he said. As an added benefit to those who do send their earnings back to the country, Peiris stated that the Finance Ministry and the Treasury have decided to pay an additional Rs. 2 for every dollar sent to Sri Lanka. “If you can do that, it will strengthen our economy during this difficult time,” he concluded.