Indian Foreign Secretary on President’s electoral
victory:
Confidence and hope for Indo-Lanka ties
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao who met President Mahinda
Rajapaksa at Janadhipathi Mandiraya yesterday congratulated the
President for his resounding victory at the recent Presidential
Election. She observed that so much had taken place for the better in
Sri Lanka since she was last here as High Commissioner.
She said the President’s victory gave much cause for confidence and
hope for bi-lateral relations between India and Sri Lanka in the future.
The Indian Prime Minister looked forward to an early visit by
President Rajapaksa to India, she said.
Discussing current political developments in Sri Lanka, she said, the
presence of more than 1,000 candidates for the forthcoming general
election and the North and Eastern Provinces alone showed the enthusiasm
of the people for the democratic process, and the change that had taken
place with the restoration of peace.
The Indian Foreign Secretary also participated at the opening of the
Sri Lanka-India Centre of English Language Training (SLICELT) at
Peradeniya yesterday. President Rajapaksa thanked India for the
assistance given to the furtherance of his policy of providing English
as a life skill to Sri Lankan youth.
Rao also said the participation of more than 3,000 pilgrims from
India at the recent feast at the St. Anthony Shrine in Kachchativu was a
further indication of the good interaction between the Sri Lankan and
Indian people.
Commenting on the April 8 general election, President Rajapaksa said
there was much enthusiasm by the people to participate in it, being the
first nationwide election of representatives to Parliament after the
restoration of peace.
“He was looking forward to working with the many new faces and
leaders who are expected to be elected, especially from the North and
the East,”he added.
The Indian Foreign Secretary was of the view that Sri Lanka had made
considerable success on resettling IDPs in the North and the East, with
the number now standing at less than 70,000, and noted that this issue
had now gone away from the attention of the international community.
She expressed India’s willingness to continue assisting Sri Lanka in
the resettlement of the IDPs. Similarly, India was also keen to assist
in the complete restoration of the railway line in the North, she said.
Among other matters of mutual interest discussed were that of the
problems faced by fisherman from both counties, the proposed coal
powered power project in Trincomalee and the necessity for understanding
between India and Sri Lanka on the protection of the environment and the
eco-systems. President Rajapaksa later hosted Foreign Secretary Nirupama
Rao to lunch at Janadhipathi Manidiraya. She was accompanied by Indian
High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Ashok Kantha. President Rajapaksa was
accompanied in the cordial discussions by Secretary to the President
Lalith Weeratunga, Foreign Affairs Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe and
Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. |