Lord Tariq Ahmed commends reconciliation process in SL

By Sandun A. Jayasekera 

Lord Tariq Ahmed of Wimbledon, British Minister of State for Commonwealth, UN and South Asia, commended the efforts taken by the government of President Maithripala Sirisena to strengthen the process of reconciliation amidst the severe challenge posed by the dastardly terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday. He emphasized the need for international cooperation to fight terrorism in all its forms which have become a global threat.   

Lord Ahmed, who is on a brief visit to Sri Lanka, met President Sirisena at the President’s Official residence in Colombo yesterday. He said there is no place for violent terrorist acts by persons with an extremist mindset in any religion.   

President Sirisena thanked the United Kingdom for timely assistance provided to Sri Lanka to strengthen security situation aftermath of Easter Sunday terror attacks and to assist Sri Lankan intelligence services and police to probe the incidents of terrorism and foreign connections of the Islamist terrorists.   

The President also referred to longstanding development assistance by the Commonwealth and Lord Ahmed said the Commonwealth is the unique network bound together with the ties between people, common values and shared history. He said that Commonwealth could extend support to environmental issues such as climate change.   

Secretary to the President Udaya R Seneviratne and British High Commissioner Sarah Hulton were also present during this meeting. 

He emphasized the need for international cooperation to fight terrorism in all its forms which have 
become a global threat