President says SL will maintain non-aligned foreign policy

President Maithripala Sirisena says Sri Lanka will maintain a middle path foreign policy and work cordially with all international partners to foster development in the country. 

The President expressed the views after three new Ambassadors and two High Commissioners presented their credentials to President Sirisena at the President’s House in Colombo yesterday. 

The new envoys are Canadian High Commissioner David McKinnon, Russian Ambassador Yuri B. Materiy, Maldives Ambassador Mohamed Hussain Shareef, Pakistani High Commissioner Gen. (Retd) Shahid Ahmed Hashmat and Egyptian Ambassador Hussein El Saharty.

President Sirisena, referring to the close bilateral relations with Sri Lanka and the countries represented by the new envoys expressed confidence that they would strive to further strengthen bilateral friendship and cooperation in many areas including trade, investment and tourism. He said the focus of Sri Lanka’s middle path foreign policy was to establish friendship with all nations.

Acting Foreign Minister Vasantha Senanayake said that the new envoys had come to Sri Lanka at an important and interesting time as the country, under the leadership of President Sirisena, had won the goodwill and support of the entire international community and was striving towards economic development and reconciliation.

He said the countries represented by them could utilise the current conducive atmosphere for further expansion of economic ties, investments and bilateral trade.

Secretary to the President Austin Fernando and Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam were also present at this occasion. (Colombo Gazette)