Sri Lanka seeks to win the backing of all countries, President tells UK

Wednesday, 11 March 2015 00:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Maithripala Sirisena says it is the foreign policy of the present Government to win the backing of all countries by sticking to the nonaligned policy. “Sri Lanka needs the cooperation of all nations in its development drive and the Government is in the process of promoting goodwill with the United Nations,” President Sirisena said when he met UK Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon on 9 March in London. The foreign policy of the country has given a novel face and ties with regional countries will be further strengthened under it, he said. While pointing out that the people of Sri Lanka elected him to power to create an atmosphere for the people to live without fear and suspicion, President Sirisena said he would also minimise the revenue gap between the rich and poor. The President also said that Sri Lanka expected the support of Britain in the international arena as well as at the UN Human Rights Council. The President added that he hoped to gain the cooperation of Britain to eradicate the drug menace, which has become an immense challenge for the country.

Commonwealth Chair in London

Chairperson- in-Office of the Commonwealth, President Maithripala Sirisena and First Lady Jayanthi Sirisena arrive for the Commonwealth Observance - an inter-denominational service held at Westminster Abbey in London, England on 9 March – Pic by Sudath Silva

The present situation of the North and East was also discussed. President Sirisena pointed out that although five years had passed since the defeat of terrorism, friendship and goodwill had not been promoted between the people in the North and South. Therefore, it was the objective of the present Government to create understanding, trust and consensus between all communities, he said. During the discussion, Fallon said that his country was ready to support Sri Lanka to eradicate the drug menace if the country was enlightened on the routes of drug smuggling. The UK could take effective steps to curb drug smuggling through the exchange of information between law enforcement authorities, he said. He also praised the program carried out by the President for the betterment of the people in the North and the East. The Secretary also requested President Sirisena to deploy Sri Lankan Army personnel for peacekeeping activities. He also inquired about Sri Lanka’s relations with China and India. In reply, President Sirisena said India was a neighbour of Sri Lanka while China was a good ally. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera was also present during the discussion.