SL made all efforts to reconcile with Tamils, says Kerry
US Secretary of State John Kerry during a visit to Kelaniya Rajmaha Temple in Kelaniya on Saturday.
Colombo: US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday praised the “openness” of the new Sri Lankan government in its efforts to boost democracy, human rights and ensure reconciliation with the Tamils. Mr Kerry was addressing the media following a bilateral meeting with Sri Lankan foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera after the top US diplomat landed here today on a two-day trip.
“One thing which struck me was the readiness of this government to open its doors, to open its minds to different ideas,” he said hailing “the enormous progress Sri Lanka has made in just a few months”. “You are working on creating an enduring peace and you are working on providing prosperity for all of your people,” Kerry said praising the new government for reaching out to the Tamils after the end of the three-decade civil war that killed over 100,000 people.
Mr Kerry said both Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are not afraid of tackling tough issues. “They are willing to make difficult decisions and they are committed to keeping their promises,” Mr Kerry said. The US has noted Lanka’s progress on restoring democracy and institutions for greater accountability through the nineteenth amendment. He said the US wants to work closely with Sri Lanka.
( Source : PTI )
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