Lanka thanks Britain for post-tsunami help

LONDON: Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera met Secretary of State for International Development Hillary Benn and officials of the Department for International Development in London on Wednesday.

They reviewed the progress made in the post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction programme. Samaraweera conveyed to the British Secretary of State the Sri Lanka Government's appreciation for the generous support of the British Government for assistance in post-tsunami efforts, a Foreign Ministry release said.

The Foreign Minister was accompanied by Tiran Alles, Chairman of the Reconstruction and Development Authority and senior officials.

In the afternoon, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dr. Kim Howells hosted a working lunch in honour of the Minister.

During lunch Samaraweera outlined developments on the peace process and discussed efforts to strengthen the democratic process in the North and East in the context of the Local Government Elections. Dr. Howells expressed the British Government's support for the peace negotiations.

Concluding his three-day visit to the United Kingdom Samaraweera met the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka in the House of Commons.

The Co-chairs of the Group Lord Naseby and Member of Parliament Andrew Love and members of all major political parties in the UK from both Houses participated in the meeting.

The Foreign Minister explained steps taken by the Government in initiating the Geneva talks. Samaraweera also responded to questions from MPs on the tsunami reconstruction programme, issues related to the conscription of children and the future directions of the peace process.

The MPs expressed appreciation of the Government's efforts to commence a dialogue with the LTTE.

The Minister was assisted by Sri Lanka's High Commissioner in the U. K. Kshenuka Senewiratne, Secretary, Ports and Aviation Tilak Kollure, Senior Advisor to the President Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala, Additional Secretary Foreign Affairs Geetha de Silva, Director Peace Secretariat Shanaka Jayasekera and senior officials at the meetings he had during the official visit to London.