US welcomes IDP resettlement

Dulshani GUNAWARDENA

The United States welcomes the Government’s progress in the resettlement process, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and former US Ambassador for Sri Lanka, Robert Blake said yesterday.

He emphasized that his overall assessment of his visits to Menik Farm and the demining areas in Mannar, was that the current situation was very agreeable.

“The United States,” he stated, “welcomes the recent progress by the Government of Sri Lanka to return a majority of these Sri Lankans home and allow increased freedom of movement to those still in camp.”

The former Ambassador visited Menik Farm the previous morning, as well as demining areas in Mannar. He had also called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and several other leaders.

Talking about the upcoming presidential elections, Blake said the USA did not take sides in elections in other countries.

He said he was confident relations between the US and Sri Lanka would grow no matter which candidate was victorious. His country’s hope is that the Government and the Opposition would work together to develop a consensus on power sharing arrangements to be implemented to ensure that all Sri Lankans can participate in the democratic process and that democracy could be restored in Northern Sri Lanka.

Answering questions Blake stated that he wouldn’t say that the US held a confrontational attitude towards Sri Lanka.

He noted that the US was Sri Lanka’s most important trade partner, purchasing one quarter of Sri Lanka’s exports.

He said his country was ready to continue help in demining and reconstruction, with $6.6 million already contributed towards the demining process.