President has encouraged for broader dialogue with diaspora: Foreign Minister

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has encouraged for a broader dialogue with the Tamil diaspora and is also reaching out to the Tamil National Alliance for this purpose, Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris stated during a meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs Elizabeth Truss. The pair met on 26 October 2021 at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in the UK. During the meeting, Minister Prof Peiris had informed Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss that having fully vaccinated about 82% of the eligible population, life is getting back to normalcy in Sri Lanka. He further informed that tourism, which collapsed during the pandemic, is picking up with modest numbers while other businesses are also picking up. The Foreign Minister also mentioned that the Sri Lankan apparel industry which remained resilient even during the height of the pandemic was able to shift to produce other items such as Personal Protection Equipment. Minister Prof Peiris stated that Sri Lanka-UK bilateral relationship is very strong, as the two countries have a lot in common. Referring to the investments successive Sri Lankan Governments have made for human resource development such as the provision of free healthcare and free education up to the university level, Minister Prof Peiris stated that some of the products of the Sri Lankan free education system are contributing to the UK’s economy. Minister added that the British influence is visible in every aspect of Sri Lanka’s life be it politics, trade, finance, legal, and education. The names of major Sri Lankan companies indicate their origins and have been set up by British businessmen. Referring to the Free Trade Agreements Sri Lanka has signed with India and Pakistan, he stated that such agreements provide an opportunity to British companies and act as a conduit to manufacture in Sri Lanka for export to these markets. He also informed that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has encouraged him to engage in a dialogue with the Tamil diaspora and the Government is also reaching out to the Tamil National Alliance. The Government has also commenced an engagement with the civil society organizations, has released some suspects held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), and is revisiting the PTA to make changes that are not cosmetic but substantial, the Minister added. He also stated that the offices such as the Office of Missing Persons, Office for Reparations, and Office for National Unity and Reconciliation are engaged in useful work. Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss reciprocated the sentiments expressed by Minister Prof. Peiris and stated that the two countries need to engage more in investments. She added that the UK is developing a broader investment portfolio that Sri Lanka could be a part of.