The Sri Lankan government has awarded long-term contracts of importing diesel and crude oil to an energy company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said cabinet spokesman and Mass Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma on Tuesday.

The contract period for diesel is for eight months starting from March 1, while that for crude oil is for seven months from June 1 to Dec. 31, he said.

Earlier this month, the cabinet of ministers awarded a long-term contract to another UAE-based company for the procurement of 1.8 million barrels of petrol for a period of eight months from Feb. 15 to Oct. 14.

In the past few months the South Asian country has been trying to import enough diesel and crude oil to support domestic consumption and economic activities, according to Alahapperuma.