President praises all parties for successful talks

Wimal Premaratne

WEERAWILA: The success of the Geneva Talks is an honour that has to be collectively shared by all political parties who took part in the All Party Conference which was initiated by the Government, President Mahinda Rajapakse asserted.

The President made this observation at the Central College, Weerawila where the residents and agricultural organization representatives of the area gathered to hear him address them on the proposed Weerawila International Airport project.

The President said that through the Geneva Talks they have opened an opportunity to solve the North East problem through discussions with transparency.

The ability of the Government delegates to express their views and proposals with sincerity, itself is a great victory for them." We are appreciative of the consensus arrived at with regard to the many areas including the current wave of assassinations, abductions and conscription of child soldiers.

Speaking further the President said that they had a duty to build an environment where all ethnic groups could live in harmony free from fear and doubt. To achieve this end we need the cooperation of all the political parties.

On this point he has in the back of his mind all the political parties that took part and presented views and proposals at the All Party Conference immediately preceding the Geneva Talks. If the Talks in Geneva have achieved any success, every political party that took part in those conferences deserve an equal share of that credit.

The honour of successfully tackling a task in the interest of the country is an honour which is shared by all stakeholders concerned, the President emphasised.