PM meeting with President Sirisena of Sri Lanka: March 2015
Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed President Sirisena of Sri Lanka today during his first visit to the UK following his election in January.
Following the meeting a Downing Street spokesman said:
President Sirisena set out the actions his government has already begun to take to reform Sri Lanka in its first two months, including rebuilding confidence in the judicial system by restoring its independence, identifying land to return to the Tamils in the North of the island and replacing military provincial governors with civilian ones. The Prime Minister welcomed these initial steps but underlined that continuing this record of action was essential.
The two leaders also discussed President Sirisena’s clear plans to build lasting reconciliation across Sri Lanka, both through supporting the ongoing UN investigation and by establishing an internal mechanism to address issues from Sri Lanka’s past. The PM welcomed the steps the President had taken so far and his commitment to helping Sri Lanka to realise its enormous potential. He reiterated that meaningful engagement with the ongoing UN process ahead of its report in September is central to the UK’s continued support for Sri Lanka.
The PM also welcomed the growing trade relationship between the UK and Sri Lanka and looked ahead to the visit of the Lord Mayor of London with a business delegation in May as an opportunity to grow this further.