Fox briefed on APRC efforts

Chaminda Perera

COLOMBO: Visiting British Parliamentarian Liam Fox yesterday met Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitharana and held extensive talks on the current situation in Sri Lanka and the Government's endeavour to solve the ethnic issue through the APRC process.

The Minister briefed Fox on how the APRC is striving to workout a final settlement to the issue through consensus of various political idealogies and dogmas.

"He was also informed on how the APRC was preparing a foundation for a new Constitution paving the way for a lasting solution to the ethnic issue.

"Fox was impressed on the Government's decision to fully implement the 13th Amendement to the Constitution which according to him would bring relief to the conflict stricken people in some way," the Minister said.

The Minister said the British Parliamentarian was of the view that the Tamil speaking people could be won and removed from the clutches of terrorists through new provisions being brought to the Constitution and by economically strengthening the people in the North and East.

Fox met Foreign Minster Rohitha Bogollagama at the Foreign Ministry yesterday. The Foreign Minister explained the Government's relentless effort to establish democracy in the East and make the ordinary people stakeholders of the participatory democracy, a Ministry spokesman said yesterday.

He said the Government has launched massive reconstruction programmes in the East and sought more foreign assistance.

Armed groups that operated in the East have been encouraged to enter to the democractic process," Minister Bogollagama said. He was also briefed on the forthcoming Provincial Election and the implementation of the 13th Amendment.

Fox arrived here on an invitation by Foreign Minister Bogollagama. He was scheduled to meet Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday.