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Friday, November 27, 2009 - 6.25 GMT |
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Australia
welcomes progress on IDPs, considers more
assistance |
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Australian
Foreign
Minister
Stephen
Smith
welcomed
the
early
resettlement
of the
IDPs
from the
welfare
villages
and
recent
announcement
regarding
the
freedom
of
movement
of those
remaining
IDP in
the
welfare
villages
and
agreed
to
consider
providing
more
assistance
to Sri
Lanka
for the
ongoing
resettlement
and
reconstruction
programmes
with the
post
conflict
process
now
underway.
The
Australian
Foreign
Minister
made
these
comments
when he
met
Foreign
Minister
Rohitha
Bogollagama
in Port
of
Spain,
Trinidad
& Tobago
attending
the
pre-Commonwealth
Heads of
Government
Meeting
(CHOGM).
Australian
Foreign
Minister
recalled
his
recent
visit to
Sri
Lanka,
which he
said had
afforded
him an
opportunity
to
experience
at first
hand the
positive
development
in the
post
conflict
phase,
said a
press
release
from the
Ministry
of
Foreign
Affairs.
Minister
Smith
also
thanked
the
Government
of Sri
Lanka
for the
support
in
taking
steps to
minimize
illegal
migration
from Sri
Lanka to
Australia.
Minister
Bogollagama
also met
with the
Canadian
Minister
of
Foreign
Affairs
Lawrence
Cannon
and
exchanged
views on
the
assistance
required
with
regard
to
reconstruction
in the
post
conflict
phase in
Sri
Lanka.
Minister
Cannon
referred
to the
large
Sri
Lankan
Diaspora
in
Canada
and
observed
that
they
play an
important
role in
Canadian
political,
economic,
social
and
cultural
spheres.
Minister
Bogollagama’s
discussions
with the
two
counterparts
also
centered
on
regional
and
international
issues
of
mutual
concern.
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