Facilitate international support for Lanka’s recovery efforts

The Sri Lankan Government is keen to implement earlier pledges to resettle all IDPs out of the camps by January, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka said when he met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

The Prime Minister met the UN Chief at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday.

He also emphasized that much international aid was needed to facilitate these efforts, especially for de-mining.

Ban underlined the importance of winning the trust and confidence of the population in the North, especially those in the IDP camps.

Primer Minister Wickramanayaka indicated that efforts toward an inclusive political framework were continuing, including through close engagement with minority representatives such as the Tamil National Alliance.

The Prime Minister thanked Ban for UN support and appealed for the Organization to use its influence to facilitate international support for Sri Lanka’s recovery efforts. Both reaffirmed their commitment to continue close engagement in addressing common concerns during this critical transitional phase. The Secretary-General welcomed the delegation’s pledge to share with the UN the Government’s recovery and resettlement plans through regular exchanges in a comprehensive and transparent manner.

He highlighted that this would help the UN and others to support national post-conflict efforts more effectively.

Xinhua