US, SL cooperation: Respect for human rights, sticking to commitments key

A senior U.S. government official said today that his country expects any future government of Sri Lanka to respect human rights and stick to its commitments to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The official told a select group of journalists that the cooperation between Sri Lanka and the US under a future government would depend on that government’s interest in working with the United States and on its respect for democratic norms.

He was responding to a question about future bilateral ties in the event of a change of government in Sri Lanka.

Referring to the upcoming visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the official said Mr. Pompeo would express his condolences on the Easter Sunday terrorist attack.

He said Mr. Pompeo would also be here to discuss US assistance to Sri Lanka and Indo-pacific strategy.(Kelum Bandara)