Post-war reconciliation, accountability and rehab continue to dominate US-Lanka relations

Foreign Secretary retired Admiral Jayanath Colombage has briefed US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (DASS) Kelly Keiderling recently as regards the progress being made in the areas of reconciliation, accountability, rehabilitation and human rights in Sri Lanka.

The following is the text of a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry: “The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal & Sri Lanka, Ambassador Kelly Keiderling held wide ranging discussions covering bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest with the Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage on 15 November 2021 at the Foreign Ministry. Ambassador Keiderling was on an official visit to Sri Lanka from 13 to 15 November 2021.  The Foreign Secretary extended a warm welcome to the visiting senior official from the US Department of State to Sri Lanka.

The Foreign Secretary thanked the Government and people of the United States for the continued support and assistance extended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and to mitigate the environmental and socio-economic impact of the MV X-Press Pearl disaster.   He expressed the sincere appreciation of the Government of Sri Lanka to the US Government for the recent gift of the third Cutter ‘DOUGLAS MUNRO’ to the Sri Lanka Navy, which would augment Sri Lanka’s drug smuggling interdiction capacity and prevention of other illicit activities in the high seas.  He also explained to the visiting US official the progress being made in the areas of reconciliation, accountability, rehabilitation and human rights in Sri Lanka.

The Foreign Secretary and the US DASS reviewed ongoing bilateral initiatives between the two countries, including convening of the US-Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue. They also exchanged views on important contemporary issues, such as strengthening democracy, the need for international cooperation to combat climate change & global pandemics and organic farming.”