Sri Lanka News: US Promises to Be a 'Partner' and 'Friend' to New President Maithripala Sirisena and Country's Reforms
A top United States diplomat visited Sri Lanka Monday for the first time since the country gained new leadership and promised support for the country's new government.
According to AFP the top lieutenant to Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse accused the U.S. of trying to bring "regime change" during Sri Lanka's heated presidential elections last month. The long-time leader Rajapakse lost the run to Maithripala Sirisena , and America has been trying to regain relations with the nation ever since.
Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal visited Colombo and pledged support from the U.S. She said Washington would be a friend and partner to Colombo, adding America is ready to help Sri Lanka on a range of issues, including its human rights record.
"I am indeed excited to be in Sri Lanka and see for myself the energy that has the world talking about Sri Lanka and about Sri Lanka's democracy and for all the right reasons," Biswal said. "Sri Lanka can count on the U.S. to be a partner and a friend in the way forward, whether it is on rebuilding the economy, on preventing corruption, and advancing good governance and ensuring human rights and democratic participation for all of its citizens."
Biswal talked with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and stressed the new Sri Lankan government could count on the U.S. support in trying to "find constructive ways forward on all the areas of interest between our two nations."
Samaraweera is set to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry next week.
"We want to raise the relationship between our two countries to a new level of cordiality and I hope to continue this dialogue in Washington," he said.
Sri Lanka's human rights violations were high under the former president.
Biswal did not mention the pending U.S. investigation into allegations that nearly 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed by the country's forces in 2009 while trying to defeat Tamil separatists.
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