Clarification

COLOMBO: This refers to the news item on an Indo-Lanka high level committee on defence issued by the Policy Research and Information Unit of the Presidential Secretariat on September 6, 2007.

The three-member delegation from Sri Lanka comprising Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Senior Advisor to the President Basil Rajapaksa that visited India recently had high level discussions with senior officials from India as part of a regular exchange of visits between the two countries.

Their discussions covered many aspects of Indo-Sri Lanka relations, including aspects of cooperation in combating terrorism and the search for a solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka through devolution of power.

The PRIU is informed that there was no decision among those who participated in these discussions to establish an Indo-Lanka High Level Committee on defence as stated in our report, which was based on an incorrect interpretation of information on this matter.

The PRIU regrets this error and apologizes to the members of the Sri Lanka delegation and the Indian officials they had discussions with, and to the media, in this regard, a news release from the PRIU said.