Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama met the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday (May 7) in continuation of the regular dialogue to apprise the United Nations of the recent developments in Sri Lanka, particularly, with regard to the unfolding of the road map for the restoration of democracy in the Eastern Province. He also briefed the Secretary General on the Task Force set up to expedite development of the North.

The Foreign Minister briefed on the process of recovery currently underway, on the directions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to empower the people of the Eastern Province following the eviction of the LTTE by the security forces and the Provincial Council Elections in the Eastern Province currently being held. He also provided an update on the APRC process and the status of implementation of the 13th Amendment as well as the Government’s efforts to address issues on human rights including children in armed conflict and other humanitarian concerns.

The Secretary-General said that he valued the frank and candid dialogue with the Foreign Minister and appreciated the efforts made to reach out to the UN agencies. He referred to his several meetings with President Rajapaksa even prior to his assuming office as the head of the United Nations and also mentioned his personal respect for President Rajapaksa and his continued good wishes for Sri Lanka to return to peace and stability.

The UN Secretary-General appreciated in particular, the dedicated commitment of Sri Lanka to the goals of the United Nations and referred to the Sri Lankan peace-keeping troops as “exemplary persons and very disciplined”.

The UN Secretary-General also referred to his interest in the Millennium Development Goals and expressed the hope that President Rajapaksa would attend the UN high-level meeting on MDGs proposed for September in New York, which would be an opportunity for Sri Lanka to present its success in meeting most of the MDG goals.

The Secretary-General also referred to his new initiative on global food security and conveyed a special invitation to President Rajapaksa to attend the proposed FAO high-level meeting scheduled for June 3-5 in Rome. The Foreign Minister suggested that Food Security should have a regional focus.