President orders reopening of Lankan mission in Iraq

Chaminda PERERA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday ordered the External Affairs Ministry to reopen the Sri Lankan mission in Iraq immediately .

According to Presidential Spokesman Bandula Jayasekera, the President had made this announcement at a meeting with correspondents of foreign media agencies based in Colombo at Temple Trees yesterday.

Foreign Ministry sources said that the government decided to close the Sri Lankan embassy in Baghdad after US led coalition forces started attacking Iraq in search of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Foreign Secretary Karunathilake Amunugama said Sri Lanka maintained diplomatic relations with Iraq through its embassy in Lebanon after the closure of Sri Lankan mission in Baghdad.