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| Monday, 27 October 2003 |
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Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will meet President George W. Bush at the White House during his visit to Washington from November 3 to 5. He is also scheduled to meet senior US administration officials, Senators and Congressmen. A further highlight will be a visit to the premier biotechnology institutes and companies in the "Biotechnology Corridor" in the State of Maryland. "The Prime Minister's forthcoming visit follows the earlier visit to the White House in July 2002 to meet President Bush, during which the two leaders discussed key bilateral issues and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's peace initiatives. That visit established the foundation for enhancing the bilateral relationship in a mutually beneficial manner," said Ambassador Devinda R. Subasinghe, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the United States of America. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe will apprise President Bush on the current status of the peace process and the Government's economic reform programme. The discussions the Prime Minister will have during this visit are expected to further reinforce the support of the US Government towards the maintenance of the ceasefire and a negotiated settlement in Sri Lanka that would end decades of conflict. The discussions are also expected to further enhance the deepening and diversification of trade between the two countries, especially because the visit follows the recently concluded Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) 3rd Joint Council meeting in Colombo on October 14. The two leaders will have wide ranging discussions that will also include regional and international developments. Relations between the two countries are marked by regular, high level contacts and meaningful bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, national security and global issues. The US has been actively engaged in supporting the peace process. The US Government hosted the Pre-Tokyo Donor Conference in Washington DC in April 2003 and co-chaired the Tokyo Donor Conference in June 2003. These efforts underline the active support of the US Government in re-establishing peace, national security and economic progress in Sri Lanka. It is expected that the Prime Minister's visit will deepen and widen the close ties between the two countries since the July 2002 visit, states a release from Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington DC. |
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