World leaders commend President Sirisena on remarkable changes brought to governance in SL

Valetta: Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena Saturday met with the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull separately on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta.

President Sirisena, the outgoing Chair-In-Office of the 53-member Commonwealth, congratulated the two Premiers for their electoral victories in Canada and Australia.

During his separate meetings with two Prime Ministers, the President explained in detail the initiatives of the Government to bring about reconciliation among different ethnic communities and said that bringing normalcy to the people of the North and East who had suffered for more than 30 years due to the war was a priority of his administration. The President invited the Sri Lankans who left the country and settled down in Canada and Australia to return to Sri Lanka.

Prime Ministers Trudeau and Turnbull conveyed their appreciation to the President on the remarkable changes that he has brought to governance in Sri Lanka. They said that reconciliation and ensuring justice are important elements for recovery after a difficult period of conflict.

During his meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau, President Sirisena recalled the excellent bilateral relations that the two countries enjoyed during the tenure of Trudeau’s father, the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and that they should work together to restore the relationship.

Canadian Prime Minister said that delisting of some Diaspora groups was a good sign and it gives the correct signal that the Government wants to build a new era based on friendship and goodwill. The two leaders agreed to strengthen and deepen bilateral ties.

The Canadian Prime Minister assured his Government’s support to Sri Lanka, where freedom and democracy are restored now, to achieve its development goals.

Sri Lanka’s relations with Canada deteriorated during the previous regime due to the poor human rights record and the former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper boycotted the CHOGM 2013 held in Colombo saying that doing so would be an endorsement to Sri Lanka’s appalling human rights record. With the election of President Sirisena and change in the Government, the relationship with Canada has improved.

During his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Turnbull, the President thanked Australia for the assistance extended to Sri Lanka over the years.

The Australian leader commended the Sri Lankan Government’s efforts to establish reconciliation and peace among the communities torn by the war. He thanked Sri Lanka for the excellent cooperation extended to tackle illegal immigration.

President Sirisena assured that Sri Lanka was extremely strict on this issue and people who indulge in people smuggling will be severely dealt with. Both leaders agreed to maintain contact and work together to enhance bilateral ties.

The President will leave for Paris Sunday to take part in the United Nations Climate Change conference.