Channel relief to North through Government - Sri Lanka to Norway
NEW YORK: Norway was requested to assist in the Government’s
continuing humanitarian efforts to bring relief, especially to the
people of the North, providing such assistance directly through the
Government rather than through other organisations.
This request was made in bilateral discussions between Sri Lankan
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Norwegian Minister of Environment
and International Development Erik Solheim, on the sidelines of the 63rd
UN General Assembly sessions in New York on Monday.
Solheim called on the President at his hotel accompanied by Jon
Hansen Bauer, Special Envoy.
Discussions on current developments in Sri Lanka included President’s
approach towards a sustainable peace and the need to eliminate
terrorism.
It was shown that the Government’s current policy mirrored the
developments taking place in the East, with the defeat of LTTE terrorism
there.
This was seen as a positive step towards the achievement of Sri
Lanka’s overall goal of peace and democracy, islandwide.
It was seen that results of the recent elections to the first ever
Eastern Provincial Council was a clear reflection of the endorsement of
the government’s policies by the people of the East, their willingness
to embrace democracy over terrorism, and a recognition of the de-merger
of the Eastern Province from the North.
President Rajapaksa said the Government was now addressing
humanitarian issues in the North, and that the LTTE was trying to use
civilians as human shields in the areas where it was faced with the
advancing Sri Lankan troops, which efforts by the terrorists had to be
prevented.
It was shown that humanitarian assistance was being extended to the
people in the North, with decisions taken at the highest levels of
government, to ensure the safety of civilians and adequate provisions
for them.
The Sri Lankan delegation at the bilateral discussion comprised
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Healthcare and
Nutrition Nimal Siripala de Silva, Secretary to the President Lalith
Weeratunga and the Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Palitha
Kohona.
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