World can assist our reconciliation moves

President to The Times of London:

We created history by defeating terrorism. The world can best assist us by recognizing this and supporting our moves for reconciliation and strengthening of peace, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa in an interview with The Times of London published on November 8.

Rebuilding a na tion after prolonged conflict requires great commitment and an enormous amount of capital flow, The President said adding, ‘we have the commitment’.

‘The most important is to rebuild trust among all Sri Lankan communities. This will involve the normalization of the North, resettlement of the remaining displaced persons in the next few months, the reconstruction of infrastructure, the provision of housing, roads, railways, bridges, schools and hospitals. Also the provision of basic services for education, healthcare, transport, and livelihood support for the resettled people including new livelihood opportunities’, the President stated. Eastern and Northern Revival programs are under-way with hitherto unprecedented opportunities for development and investment in large-scale infrastructure such as ports, telecommunications and agribusiness, to mention a few, he added.