Chamikara WEERASINGHE  

The Free Trade Agreement between Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be further expanded to services and investment in keeping with the bilateral discussions between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, yesterday.  

President Rajapaksa, who is on a visit to Libya to participate at the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Al-Fateh Revolution on the invitation of Libyan leader Colonel Khaddafi , was met by Prime Minister Gilani in the sidelines of the anniversary celebrations to discuss bilateral relations and other regional and international matters of mutual interest.

"Without development, there won't be peace; we must develop the economy, I don't want to just be the liberator, I want to be the leader who brings permanent peace and development to this country and reconciliation with Tamil communities in the North and the East", said President Mahinda Rajapaksa in an extensive interview with the ‘Forbes’ Magazine.

"The war is over," he said. "Now we have no excuses. We have to start working and develop this country."

Some sections of the international community have regrettably thought it fit to criticize the verdict given on 31^st August 2009 by the High Court on the case of J.S. Tissainayagam, bringing into question the judicial process and integrity of judicial officers in Sri Lanka.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a message of congratulations to Dr. Yukio Hatoyama, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan states “its victory is a clear demonstration of the confidence the people of Japan have placed in your leadership and vision for a new era for Japan”. 

International assistance to Sri Lanka should aim for tangible results with the benefits rapidly to reach the people at grassroot level emphasised Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama during his meeting yesterday (28/08/09) with Liam Fox, MP, Shadow Defence Secretary of the United Kingdom. Minister Bogollagama welcoming Dr. Fox on his second visit to Colombo this year thanked him for his continued interest in the developments in Sri Lanka, and out lined the steps being taken by the Government towards resettlement and reconstruction of the North.

The Government of Sri Lanka refers to the comments made by the Minister of Environment & International Development of the Norwegian Government, Erik Solheim, published in the ‘Aftenposten’ newspaper website of 28 August 2009.

(Colombo-Lankapuvath-August 29) – Senior Presidential Advisor and Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa has assured to provide all facilities the Government could extend in the resettlement of civilians.

MP Rajapaksa addressing a special meeting in Jaffna library yesterday instructed the officials to operate the 162 buses of the Point Pedro, Killinochchi and Karainagar Depots in Jaffna, according to a proper schedule to provide a streamlined and efficient service.

Keynote Address by Hon Mahinda Samarasinghe MP, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights at the Seminar on “Winning the War to Winning the Peace: Postwar Rebuilding of Society” organized by the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo, Friday, 28 August 2009

Switzerland has donated a 3rd stock of urgently required medical supplies to the Ministry of Health (MoH) for the treatment of Internally Displaced Persons in the North.

Several programs are underway to encourage and motivate children and youth in the North to engage in Sports activities, said Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamani Lokuge today (27).

Minister Lokuge made this observation  at a ceremony organized to distribute Sports equipments to children and youth in welfare centers in the Chettikulam relief villages.

Britain has agreed to fund the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) operations in Sri Lanka through a grant of £75,000 and will also support OCHA to maintain the UN Information Management Unit (IMU) in the country which provides information management services for the humanitarian community in Sri Lanka.

The attention of the Government of Sri Lanka has been drawn to a news item telecast on Channel 4 television in the UK which is also available on the Internet which depicts Sri Lankan forces allegedly committing atrocities against Tamils.

The displaced people in the North will be resettled in their original homes soon after the mines were cleared in the respective areas to integrate them into the national development process, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Speaking at the bicentennial celebrations of the Sri Lanka Customs Department, President Rajapaksa said the Government has faced an enormous task of clearing mines in the area which was once occupied by terrorists.

Sinhala and Tamil language training to elected government officials and staff from 11 local government authorities in Eastern Province to help them provide better services to the multi-ethnic communities they serve, is provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

CHENNAI: K Palaniappan, an industrialist, had to shelve a business collaboration when the insurgency broke out in Sri Lanka in the latter part of the 70s. He had not had a chance to visit the island nation since then. This August, he grabbed the first opportunity he had to visit the country and travel to tourist spots popular long before the war.

A US Court has ruled against an attempt to de-list the LTTE by an organization which had challenged an executive order issued by President George W. Bush in 2001 which allowed the US government to designate groups as terrorist organizations, freeze their assets and block aid, the US media reported.

A Cheque for an amount of Rs.7.6 Million, contributed by the Eastern Province Council Employees, has been donated for the welfare of IDPs by Chief Secretary of the Eastern Province. The Cheque has been handed over to H.E the President by Chief Secretary Mr.V.P.Balasingham. Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, Mr. Sivanesaturai Chandrakanthan,Governor of the Easten Province Mr.Mohan Wijewickrama also participated at the event.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama stated that Sri Lanka is the hub of the Asian Region and Kenya is the hub of African region and that both the countries have a great potential to enhance their commercial and business ties and also develop their economies. This was conveyed during his visit to Nairobi where he met with His Excellency Kalonzo Musyoka, Vice President of Kenya, and Hon. Moses Wetangula, the Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Around 5,700 children from Welfare villages and IDP camps in Vanni sat for the Grade Five Scholarship exam yesterday. The scholarship exam was held in 42 centres and the Government provided all facilities. Students who sat for this exam at the Punthottam College of Education Centre at Vavuniya were provided biscuits and milk.