Sweden welcomes SL’S IC engagement
The Swedish Government had welcomed Sri Lanka’s policy of active engagement and involvement with the international community, visiting Swedish Foreign Minister Ms. Margot Wallström said yesterday.
While addressing the media at the Foreign Ministry after a discussion held with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and delegations of the two countries, Minister Wallström said the active engagement with the international community was vital.
Commenting on the bilateral relationship between the two countries, she said Sweden and Sri Lanka maintained a long standing relationship and both countries had interests in strengthening cooperation. She said that the countries were working together on many issues that they faced globally.
“Climate change is one such issue. Sustainable development is another. To make sure that we
To make sure that we can live in peace and security is also another challenge.
can live in peace and security is also another challenge. We also discussed the positive progress being made in Sri Lanka in many areas as well as the remaining challenges. This positive development provides a very positive context to our discussion on increasing cooperation bilaterally,” she said.
Minister Wallström said they hoped that they would be able to define a number of areas for Swedish cooperation and/ or investments in sectors like infrastructure, green technology, information technology and the entire transport sector, which they have identified as sectors of common interest.
“I hope we will continue and deepen our cooperation,” she said.
Minister Wallström was scheduled to meet President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.
She will visit Jaffna on (Today) 26 and meet the Northern Province Governor, Chief Minister of the Province, and the District Secretary of Jaffna. She will also meet with civil society movements, visit an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Welfare Camp and visit the Maravanpulo SDC Housing Project.