UNP miffed over missing Clinton's visit
[21 Mar 2000]  

UNP members in parliament yesterday accused the government of failing to develop contact with foreign nations, with United States President Bill Clinton not including Sri Lanka on his itinerary during his current tour of South Asia.

  Acting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella responded that Sri Lanka had not been included on the President's itinerary because the United States had no outstanding issues in Sri Lanka.

  Kiriella said that all the trade issues with the US have been solved, garment quotas have been allocated, and the LTTE has been banned in the US. Therefore, the minister said, President Clinton did not have a reason to visit Sri Lanka.  

  He also said that USA was particularly interested in Pakistan and India due to their nuclear weapons, which was a prime reason for President Clinton's visit. Bangladesh, he said, had vast oil reserves in which the US has interests, cited that as a reason for visiting that country.

  However, the opposition was brimming with criticism over the government's failure to seize the opportunity of US President's South Asia tour to invite him to Sri Lanka.  

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