'Inter-governmental relationships are multi-dimensional'

"Having disagreements does not mean that we stop working with each other. There is never 100 percent agreement when working with other countries. No relationship between two governments is one dimensional but they are multi-dimensional," said External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris.

He was addressing a ceremony to award certificates and diplomas conducted by the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI).

Prof Peiris said that the central challenge is to identify areas of agreement in relations between countries which disagree on many matters.

The minister stated that while one may disagree on certain matters, some of which may be of fundamental importance and can still carve out a certain area in which one can work together productively and to the mutual benefit of both countries.

"Dispute resolution process is an important element in international relations and it is a mistake to start with the most intractable issue," he pointed out. The minister said that if one tried to address the most difficult issue at the outset it would get more polarized. Instead, the minister stated, one should start with an issue in which a consensus can be arrived at.

He added that one must always think of home-grown approaches to solve problems and not approaches imported from other cultures. The minister also referred to the role of the modern media, technology and dissemination of information which he said, has made a real difference to public life.

The minister said that it was no longer possible to hide things from public gaze and that sooner or later it would come out. Minister Peiris also emphasised the importance of interacting with the media and said that it was an important part of a diplomat's functions.

He explained the importance of avoiding confrontational postures if at all possible and to reach out to the people instead.

The minister also spoke on the importance of economy, trade and investment in the areas of bilateral and multilateral relations and emphasised the need for Sri Lankan missions to pay particular attention to forge relations with the business communities in order to develop and increase investment in Sri Lanka.