US: Will back SL in time of reconstruction
Sri Lanka had taken swift strides in the aftermath of the conflict and the US would be there with Sri Lanka when taking such steps, since it is not an easy task, US Permanent Representative to the UN Samantha Power assured on Thursday.
“Each conflict is different from the other. Conflicts also have left deep scars in nations, as it has in Sri Lanka. I can say I have never seen a country take such swift strides in so little time
Addressing a US-SRI Lanka Trade and Investment Framework Agreement Council meeting in Washington, she said that she had travelled to many places going through transition and change, many of which have gone through conflict, the release published on US Mission to the UN said.
“Each conflict is different from the other. Conflicts also have left deep scars in nations, as it has in Sri Lanka. I can say I have never seen a country take such swift strides in so little time. I think it is extremely important that when a country takes such steps that the United States be there with Sri Lanka because it’s certainly not easy,” she said.
She said that US President Barrack Obama placed importance on relationship with Sri Lanka and that his commitment continues to support President Maithripala Sirisena in his efforts to ensure that Sri Lanka delivered socioeconomic benefits to the people of the country.
“The wounds from the war run deep in people’s hearts and souls, the political headwinds that one faces, particularly when one is trying to execute as ambitious an agenda as President Sirisena and his government are doing – those headwinds can be very intense – and there’s a ton of work left to be done, including on such goals as transitional justice, promoting lasting reconciliation, improving the quality of governance, clearing out the red tape, all of the issues that you all are trying to work through,” she said.
Meanwhile, Power said Sri Lanka has emerged as a global champion of human rights and democratic accountability since January 2015, after becoming a sad example of creeping authoritarianism very recently.