Sri Lanka's advance into the future

In a most timely move, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and other officials have put the record straight on what transpired during President Rajapaksa's visit to Britain recently in connection with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth the Second.

It should be abundantly clear that on the whole it was a most successful undertaking by the President in the foreign relations sphere. While Sri Lanka's critics have sought to place a highly negative construct on the visit, it is only too clear that the visit was a success- studded one which has brought for this country a wealth of gains.

Detailed information on how the visit progressed is given in our front page lead story of today and in other related stories and it should be all too obvious that rather than being impeded by what the destructive sections of the Diaspora said and did, President Rajapaksa kept the honour of Sri Lanka glowing. Rather than being muted by the LTTE-rump's terror tactics, the President had a string of very successful meetings and interactions with a number of leading lights in Britain, including the Queen, and has helped in underscoring Sri Lanka's current significance in the international community.

While there has been a qualitative improvement in Sri Lanka's foreign relations, it is of special importance that the state has made it amply clear that this country will be advancing into the future with a forward vision.

Sri Lanka is in no way obliged to spell out to the outside world the ways in which it would be advancing along the path of reconciliation but we believe that it would accrue to the good of this country to establish beyond doubt that it is making concrete progress in the reconciliation sphere.

Accordingly, the priority attached by the state to the implementation of the LLRC recommendations must be welcomed. Although Sri Lanka is beholden to none, it would probably be the case that international goodwill would increasingly come her way if a keen effort is made to implement the practicable LLRC recommendations. Generally speaking, the world would need the evidence of its eyes that Sri Lanka is making tangible progress in the direction of reconciliation.

Therefore, besides reconstruction and material development, more and more ex-LTTE cadres must be rehabilitated and integrated into mainstream society, for instance, while the issue of displacement is finally resolved and the totality of the once uprooted are given a roof over their heads and provided satisfactory livelihoods.

With Sri Lanka making steady qualitative improvements on the foreign relations front, one could expect the enemies of this country to intensify their opposition to it. We have already seen the lengths to which they could endeavour in these destructive pursuits, through their opposition to Sri Lanka, in London. Such efforts are likely to continue and Sri Lanka must be prepared to take them on.

Through their interactions with the President, Britain's principal politicians have shown where their country's priorities lie. They could not be distracted from their course of keeping UK-Sri Lanka ties on a cordial and constructive footing.

However, out of deference for their democratic traditions they are compelled to put up with unruly pro-Tiger and anti-Sri Lanka demonstrations as long as they are carried out within legal bounds. . Sri Lanka must remain engaged with the West amid all this to keep the West on its side. Thus, our diplomatic skills need to be of the best.

It could be seen that many are the issues in the foreign relations sphere that need clarification by the Lankan state. If it does not do this, disinformation would be steadily fed to foreign publics by the opponents of Sri Lanka. This has already happened and such developments could prove harmful to Sri Lanka's interests.

However, putting the record straight on the happenings in London was timely and such exercises need to continue so that the anti-Sri Lanka camp's disinformation mill could be resoundingly busted.