President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a message of congratulations to the US President-elect Senator Barack Obama has expressed great pleasure at his success at yesterday's US election.

The message states: "I have been following your campaign closely and have been impressed by the freshness and candour that you introduced to the US political landscape and the hope that you generated in the United States, in particular and the wider world, in general. I am convinced that under your leadership, the United States, which has always been a beacon to the world on many an issue, will continue to provide that leadership in a re-invigorated manner."

The Sri Lankan President has wished the very best to Senator Obama as the next President of the United States, which office he will assume in January 2009.