President outlines two challenges:
Rehabilitation livelihood renewal
Sri Lanka-Myanmar sign MoU on tourism promotion :
President Mahinda Rajapaksa currently on a State visit to Myanmar
said that his latest challenge is to rehabilitate the war torn region
and bring normalcy to the lives of the people. The 30 year old cruel war
against terrorism cost 100,000 lives, he said.
Expressing satisfaction at being able to successfully conclude the
humanitarian operation against terrorism, the President said his visit
to Myanmar is the first one after the victory.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi
Rajapaksa arrived in the Union of Myanmar yesterday. They
were welcomed by Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the
State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar
at the Nay Pay Taw Airport Ministers Rohitha Bogollagama,
Dullas Alahapperuma and Mervin Silva, Wimal Weerawansa MP,
Additional Secretary to the President Gamini Senerath,
Coordinating Secretary to the President Sajin Vas
Gunawardane and the President’s sons Yoshitha Rajapaksa and
Rohitha Rajapaksa are accompanying the President. Pictures
by Sudath Silva
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The President said that he was able to create a free and independent
society in which everybody could live together in equality and harmony
in accordance with the teachings of Buddhism.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in the Union of Myanmar in a
special SriLankan Airlines flight yesterday morning on a two day
official visit. The visit is a goodwill gesture to the South-East Asian
nation.
President Rajapaksa’s visit follows an invitation from the Chairman
of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar
Senior General Than Shwe and a promise made to the Prime Minister of
Myanmar during his visit to Sri Lanka in 2007. The visit also
commemorates the completion of 60 years of diplomatic relations between
the two countries.
President Rajapaksa and the Sri Lankan delegation were received at
the Nay Pay Taw airport by Chairman of the State Peace and Development
Council of the Union of Myanmar, Senior General Than Shwe, followed by a
guard of honour on arrival. President Rajapaksa thanked the Government
of Myanmar for its assistance in preventing drug trafficking and other
crime in that part of Asia and also expressed his gratitude for the
donation of US$ 50,000 that Sri Lanka received from Myanmar for the
welfare of the IDPs in the north.
Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of
Myanmar Senior General Than Shwe explained to President Rajapaksa the
political and social changes that has taken place in the country since
independence. President Rajapaksa and his delegation held bilateral
talks with Prime Minister General Thein Sein and other officials at the
latter’s office.
Both sides agreed to work together at international fora with mutual
understanding and cooperation.
The Head of State of Myanmar accepted an invitation extended to him
by President Rajapaksa to visit Sri Lanka. The two leaders also agreed
to update the Air Services Agreement between the two countries which was
signed in 1950. It was also decided to provide training at the
Kotalawela Defence Academy to two Myanmar Security Forces Officers
annually as agreed upon by an MoU signed in 2007.
On being informed of the intention of the Sri Lankan Government to
erect nine Dagabas in the nine provinces the Myanmar leaders promised to
explore the possibility of supplying marble for the Dagabas. President
Rajapaksa also thanked Myanmar for presenting a tusker to Sri Lanka as a
gesture of friendship. The foreign Minister of Myanmar is expected to
visit Sri Lanka in the near future. The two delegations also signed an
MoU on tourism and promotion.
The Sri Lanka delegation comprises Foreign Minister Rohitha
Bogollagama, Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, Labour Minister
Mervin Silva, National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa (MP),
Additional Secretary to the President and Chief of Staff-Gamini Senarath
and President’s Coordinating Secretary Sajin Vass Gunawardena. |