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Thursday, May 21, 2009 - 7.29 GMT |
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Sri Lanka and India focus on relief for IDPs |
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Sri Lanka and India are agreed that with the
end of military operations in Sri Lanka, the
time was opportune to focus attention on
issues of relief, rehabilitation,
resettlement and re-conciliation including a
permanent political solution in Sri Lanka.
This understanding was reached when
President Mahinda Rajapaksa met with the
India Foreign Secretary Mr. Shiv Shankar
Menon and National Security Advisor Mr. M.K.
Narayanan at Janadhipathi Mandiraya, this
morning (21).
The Government of India committed to provide
all possible assistance in the
implementation of a plan for early
resettlement of IDPs in areas such as
de-mining, provision of civil infrastructure
and re-construction of houses. All these
activities will be implemented in close
consultation and co-operation with the
Government of Sri Lanka
Here is the text of the Press Statement
issues after the meeting:
“Mr. M.K. Narayanan, National Security
Advisor and Mr. S. Menon, Foreign Secretary
of India visited Sri Lanka on 20 and 21 May.
They called on His Excellency Mahinda
Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka and met
with senior officials, including Hon. Basil
Rajapaksa, MP, Mr. Lalith Weeratunga,
Secretary to the President and Defence
Secretary, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa. They also
interacted with a number of political
parties in Sri Lanka.
Both sides agreed that with the end of
military operations in Sri Lanka, the time
was opportune to focus attention on issues
of relief, rehabilitation, resettlement and
re-conciliation including a permanent
political solution in Sri Lanka.
Following their agreement of 26October 2008,
both sides have been co-operating in
providing humanitarian relief and assistance
to IDPs in Sri Lanka. This includes medical
assistance in the form of a field hospital,
urgently needed medicines and medical
supplies as well as food, clothing and
shelter material.
Both sides emphasized the urgent need to
resettle the IDPs in their villages and
towns of habitation and to provide to them
necessary basic and civil infrastructure as
well as means of livelihood to resume their
normal lives at the earliest possible. To
this end, the Government of Sri Lanka
indicated that it was their intention to
dismantle the welfare villages at the
earliest and outlined a 180 day plan to
re-settle the bulk of IDPs to their original
places of habitation. The Government of
India committed to provide all possible
assistance in the implementation of such a
plan in areas such as de-mining, provision
of civil infrastructure and re-construction
of houses. All these activities will be
implemented in close consultation and
co-operation with the Government of Sri
Lanka.
Both sides also emphasized the urgent
necessity of arriving at a lasting political
settlement in Sri Lanka. To this, the
Government of Sri Lanka indicated that it
will proceed with implementation of the 13th
Amendment.
Further, the Government of Sri Lanka also
intends to begin a broader dialogue with all
parties, including the Tamil parties, in the
new circumstances, for further enhancement
of political arrangements to bring about
lasting peace and reconciliation in Sri
Lanka.
21 May 2009
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