Sri Lanka expects to implement a debt restructuring framework within the first six months of 2024, the country's president said on Wednesday, expressing confidence that the nation was recovering from its worst financial crisis in decades.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over in mid-2022 amid a debilitating financial crisis caused by a severe shortage of foreign exchange, told the ceremonial opening of parliament that the island nation was aiming to grow its gross domestic product (GDP) by upto 3% this year. (Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe, writing by Sudipto Ganguly; editing by YP Rajesh)