US Assistant Secretary Boucher, the official observer to the SAARC Summit told media that they have discussed with the foreign ministers of the SAARC countries how they can increase cooperation and efforts to fight terrorism.

Congratulating the Government for hosting the 15th SAARC summit in Colombo, Boucher said the summit was held in most practical and productive atmosphere.

“We see ourselves as friends of Sri Lanka and we want to make sure that we will be able to make a positive contribution here for the people of Sri Lanka to fight terrorism,” he said.

“We understand that the people in Sri Lanka are afflicted by terrorism. We understand that people need to be able to go out and go back to their homes safely free from fear of bombing on buses or shopping malls, and attacks in the streets.”
Boucher said the US would take steps to hinder supply of arms coming illegally into the terrorist groups.

Our radar systems are working on it, he said and added that United States would take all measures for stopping illegal supplies of weapons to the Tigers.

“US will continue its support Sri Lanka to counter these supplies among other things,” he said.

He said the US has welcome the move of devolution of power or power sharing as a solution to Sri Lanka’s problem, and they had discussed this with the government.