FM seeks Belgian assistance for post-conflict development
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Monday invited Belgium to
assist Sri Lanka in post conflict development of the areas cleared of
the LTTE.
The Minister made this request when he called on the recently
appointed Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels on
Monday. It was noted that the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister was the first
foreign dignitary received by the Prime Minister since he assumed office
earlier this month. The Minister conveyed the greetings of President
Mahinda Rajapaksa to Prime Minister Van Rompuy, who is a long standing
friend of Sri Lanka.
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama meeting Belgian Prime
Minister Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels. |
The Belgian Prime Minister acknowledged the importance of
socio-economic development in the post conflict process and the long
term sustainability of peace. The Belgian authorities said they had
expertise in assisting Sri Lanka in the demining process and would
consider assistance in training and equipping Sri Lankan security forces
in this field.
Foreign Minister Bogollagama informed the Belgian Prime Minister of
the increasing number of moderate Tamil politicians who were now in
dialogue with the Sri Lankan authorities to arrive at a political
solution acceptable to all communities.
The Minister also informed the Prime Minister of the danger of LTTE
front organisations, which operate within the territory of Belgium and
in Europe as a whole which collect funds on behalf of the LTTE, carry
out illegal smuggling operations and other criminal activities. With the
steadily diminishing fighting capabilities of the LTTE, the danger of
these operatives in Europe seeking asylum for remaining cadres in Sri
Lanka, the possibility of the increase of criminal and subversive
activity within Europe was also highlighted. It was appreciated that
Belgium shares with Sri Lanka the policy of zero tolerance towards
terrorism.
He suggested that Foreign Office Consultations, talks at the level of
senior officials between the respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs
should be undertaken with a structured manner to cover all areas of
bilateral relations and cooperation in the interest of strengthening the
existing friendly bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Belgium,
which was welcomed by the Belgian Government.
Given the strategic location of Sri Lanka, its investor and business
friendly economic regime and the favourable market access it enjoys with
both India and Pakistan, the Foreign Minister invited the Belgian
Government to open a resident mission in Sri Lanka which would further
strengthen bilateral relations.
The meeting with the Prime Minister was preceded by official level
consultations held between the Sri Lanka delegation led by Sri Lanka's
Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union Ravinatha
Aryasinha and the Belgian Foreign Office delegation led by Dirk Achten
Foreign Secretary of Belgium.
At the conclusion of the meetings, the Minister was interviewed by
the Belgian Flemish language newspaper De Standaard, the French language
newspaper Le Soir. |