Anura pledges to continue foreign policy
 

by Anjana Gamage

The Government's foreign policy will be continued, pledged the new Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike assuming official duties at the Ministry yesterday.

Bandaranaike made his first official visit to the Foreign Affairs Ministry at 11.15 a.m. yesterday and lit the traditional oil lamp before he was blessed with the chanting of pirith by Chief incumbent of Attanagalla Raja Maha Viharadipathi Ven. Pannila Ananda Thera.

Addressing the media after assuming official duties, Bandaranaike said the Government's foreign policy will be continued as usual.

"My father the late SWRD Bandaranaike introduced a foreign policy suitable to this country in 1956 and he could not fulfil his wishes and later my mother,the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike as the Foreign Minister for 12 years, built a strong relationship with neighbouring countries specially India, China, Europe and Arabian countries," he said.

"Most of these relationships turned out to be life time and personal. Sri Lanka was not known by many and the name Bandaranaike became world famous because of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and she put Sri Lanka on the World Map," the Foreign Minister said.

The Minister also stressed that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar continued the same policy and developed it with latest methods.

"The responsibilities taken over by the late Minister Kadirgamar has now come to me. I have been in Parliament for 28 years. For 21 years from 1977 to 1998, the I led the budget debate on Foreign Ministry during that perod of time.

Hence this subject is not new to me. Thanks to my mother, I have met several world leaders from the age of 10. I was only 10 when I met the Queen of the Buckingham Palace. From then, I have met world leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Mao-Tsethung, Chou En Lai, Marshal Tito and Richard Nickson.

I promise that I will continue the same foreign policy as well," the minister said.

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First official visit to 'extra special friend'

Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike will make his first official visit to India today on an invitation by Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh. Bandaranaike is expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress I party Leader Sonia Gandhi.

"During the first official visit to India, I will discuss Sri Lanka's situation and bilateral issues. India is our neighbour and is the closest friend for the last 2500 years. Buddhism came to Sri Lanka from India 2500 years ago. Our language and dress came from India.

There are special friendships and there are extra special friendships. India is our extra special friend. What ever happens to Sri Lanka India is there for us and vice versa. This is why I stress on the importance of India," the minister said.