GL meets White House National Security team:

Discussions focus on resettlement, reconciliation after terrorism defeat

External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris met top US National Security and trade officials on Thursday to build on the long-standing US-Sri Lankan ties, emphasising how economic development has helped sustain peace and build prosperity after the defeat of terrorism three years ago.

Minister Peiris had a cordial meeting with a special assistant to US President Barack Obama, Samantha Power, senior director of Multilateral Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) Michael Newbill.

NSC director for South Asia and Jason Donovan of the NSC staff also took part in the meeting.

Minister Peiris gave the NSC staff members a comprehensive update on post-conflict developments in Sri Lanka, progress on reconciliation and the work of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), including the government’s effort to adopt the commission’s recommendations. The LLRC was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to review the conflict against the LTTE terrorist group which ended with the LTTE’s defeat on May 19, 2009. It handed over its final report in December 2011 and the government has since established a mechanism through the presidential secretariat to adopt many of its recommendations, several of which are already in place.

In addition, Minister G.L. Peiris also met separately with Deputy United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Demetrios Marantis and took part and had extensive discussions on trade and the economy. He also pressed ambassador Marantis for the early closure of a review of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for trade that exists between the U.S. and Sri Lanka.

Minister Peiris highlighted Sri Lanka’s steady economic growth in recent years amid a global slowdown, with an 8.3 % GDP in 2011. Minister Peiris also noted that growing prosperity in Sri Lanka will create enormous opportunities for U.S. investors, and he expressed his appreciation to U.S. private sector for placing confidence in Sri Lanka by committing a number of large scale investments, especially in the fast-growing tourism and financial sectors.

The U.S. was the largest single buyer of Sri Lankan goods in 2011, taking nearly 22 % of total exports worth (U.S.) $2.15 billion.

Ambassador Marantis, while welcoming Minster Peiris and the Sri Lankan delegation, expressed appreciation for the notable progress made by Sri Lanka in number of areas, including the matters concerning the Lanka-U.S. GSP review.

Accompanying Minister Peiris in the talks was a delegation of Sri Lankan government officials, including Environment Minister Anura Piyadhashana Yapa, Monitoring MP of External Affairs Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Sri Lankan Ambassador to U.S. Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Kshenuka Senewiratne, Additional Secretary /External Affairs and Esala Weerakoon, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Sri Lankan embassy in the U.S.