British Parliamentary delegation positive about Sri Lanka

Thursday, 1 August 2013 02:17 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A British Parliamentary delegation which toured Sri Lanka ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November, hailed the progress in Sri Lanka following the end of the war. Head of the delegation, British MP Eleanor Laing, expressed hope for Sri Lanka’s future, saying that one cannot compare human rights in Britain to human rights in Sri Lanka as the island suffered 30 years of war. “There is a lot of hope for the future. We are very positive about Sri Lanka. I believe reconciliation is important,” Laing said. The group of representatives made these remarks at a discussion with Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa in Parliament recently. They have also praised Sri Lanka for taking measures to conduct the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November. The British Parliamentarians further said that they were impressed by the hospitality and the friendship of the Sri Lankan people. The six-member British Parliamentary delegation arrived in Sri Lanka on 22 July and concluded their five-day visit 26 July after meetings in Parliament with Government leaders. The delegation led by Conservative MP Eleanor Laing was in Sri Lanka to hold discussions on bilateral issues including the preparations for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to be held in November in Colombo and to observe the progress of UK-funded projects. The delegation has praised the friendliness and hospitality of Sri Lankans during their travel across the country. The British Parliamentary delegation’s visit was organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Summit and the British High Commission in Colombo.

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