SL actively participates in OBOR: Minister

Sri Lanka firmly adheres to the ‘One China’ policy and actively participates in the joint construction of One Belt One Road (OBOR) Initiative, Foreign Affairs Minister Thilak Marapana has said when he met Chinese Ambassador Cheng Xueyuan on March 8.

Issuing a statement, the Chinese Embassy said Minister Marapana briefed the Ambassador on the current situation in Sri Lanka and thanked China for its steady position.

The Minister had praised the long-standing friendship between the two countries and thanked China for its long-term support to Sri Lanka's economic and social development as well as to Sri Lanka's efforts to safeguard national unity and stability.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Cheng has said they were following the current situation in Sri Lanka and believe that the Sri Lankan government and its people are capable of handling the current situation upholding Sri Lanka's social stability and ethnic solidarity.

“We also hope that Sri Lanka will take concrete measures to protect the security and legitimate interests of Chinese citizens in Sri Lanka,” he said.

The Ambassador said China is willing to work with all sectors of Sri Lanka to actively implement the consensus reached by leaders of both countries, speed up the mega projects cooperation under the OBOR framework and strive for early harvest to bring real benefit to the two peoples. (Lahiru Pothmulla)