International goodwill for Sri Lanka strengthening: President

President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday declared that international goodwill for Sri Lanka was on the rise.

“My participation at the G7 outreach meeting and the interaction with global leaders reaffirmed the growing international goodwill for Sri Lanka and willingness to extend cooperation,” President Sirisena told the Daily FT on the conclusion of a successful visit to Nagoya in Japan. 

“G7 members are very impressed with the unity government’s positive efforts on improving good governance, reconciliation and fighting corruption,” he added.

“Developed countries are eager to support Sri Lanka and ensure such financial help is fully utilised by ensuring better reforms and transparency,” President Sirisena emphasised. “It was stressed that whilst good policies are essential, implementation of programs under such policies is critical,” he added.

President Sirisena met with leaders of G7 comprising Japan’s Premier Shinzo Abe, US President Barak Obama, England’s Premier David Cameron, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkey, France President Francois Hollande, Canada Premier Justin Trudeau, Italy Premier Matteo Renzi, EU Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Additionally he also met the heads of government from six outreach partner nations for the G7 Summit, namely Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Vietnam Prime Minister Ngyun Xuan Phuc, Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina, Laos Prime Minister Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Chad President Idriss DebyItno and Papua New Guinea Premier Peter O’Neill.  United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, World Bank President Dr. Jim Yong Kim, OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria and ADB President Takehiko Nakao were also present at the session.

In his address at the outreach session, President Sirisena called for more development support and investors from G7 countries for Sri Lanka as the Unity Government has created a viable path for democracy and prosperity.

“I am aware how G7 countries have appreciated the change we created,” the President added.

Having detailed a host of positive political and democratic changes the country has seen since the landmark 8 January 2015 presidential and 17August 2015 general elections, the President told G7 leaders: “We lack finances for extensive development efforts and therefore seek developed nations and multilateral and bilateral investors to invest in Sri Lanka.”

Sirisena expressed the belief and hope that the G7 Summit of 216 will look at countries such as Sri Lanka focusing on all these fields. “Your invitation to me would yield real benefits beyond bounds, if serious attention is drawn to our problems,” he emphasised.

Sirisena was the first Sri Lankan leader to be invited to a G7 Summit and in acknowledgement of this achievement, the President said: “Japan’s formal announcement that G7 will explore what is needed to sustain the wellbeing of Asia to steer economic growth highlighted the relevance of Sri Lanka being here. It endorses Prime Minister Abe’s reasoning for selecting us.”