The Sri Lankan government hired the boutique Paris-based financial advisory firm Lazard to negotiate on its behalf with bilateral creditors in China, Japan, and India, among others. If that firm sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same company that was brought in to help shepherd the Zambian government through its successful debt restructuring process.

Separately, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva implored China and other major creditors on Tuesday to work harder and move faster to prevent a full-blown debt crisis in the developing world.