Chavez praises President Rajapaksa's leadership in defeating LTTE

Cordial meeting between Venezuelan and Lankan leaders:

The leadership provided by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in defeating LTTE terrorism a task which was deemed impossible by the world at large is a glowing example to other countries beset with the same problem, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said.

He made this observation during a meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Libyan revolution on Wednesday.

At the extremely cordial meeting between the two leaders, measures taken by the President Rajapaksa to defeat terrorism in Sri Lanka came in for high praise by the Venezuelan leader who said that by vanquishing a most ruthless terrorist organisation such as the LTTE, President Rajapaksa has succeeded in drawing the attention of the entire international community towards Sri Lanka.

The Venezuelan leader also observed that this was the ideal time to showcase Sri Lanka's economic stability to the entire world while emphasizing the need for stronger economic ties between Sri Lanka and Venezuela, a leading oil producer.

President Chavez also noting the strategic geographical location of Sri Lanka said the country was ideally sited to function as a commercial hub between the East and West. He also specially commended Sri Lanka's role in the G-15.

He also accepted an invitation by President Rajapaksa to visit Sri Lanka on being informed of his desire to visit the country.

With a view to expanding bi-lateral relations between the two countries and to further elaborate on the discussions between the two leaders, a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries is to take place in the near future.

Associated with the President at the meeting were Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga.