US, Sri Lanka discuss human rights issue

3 February 2021 05:03 am

The United States and Sri Lanka have had talks on the human rights issue and other related matters.

The matters were discussed between the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina Teplitz and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday.

Both sides also discussed the investment outlook and opportunities in Sri Lanka.

“They discussed the status of Sri Lanka’s domestic human rights, reconciliation and accountability efforts; cooperation to counterterrorism and transnational crime; and the investment outlook and opportunities in Sri Lanka,” US Embassy Spokesperson Nancy Van Horn told Daily Mirror.

The meeting took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Just last week Teplitz told reporters in Colombo that the Joe Biden administration in the United States will maintain the push on the human rights issue in Sri Lanka.

The US Ambassador had said that it was too early to say if the US will rejoin the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. However, she asserted the US will continue to work with other countries to ensure there is real peace in Sri Lanka.(EASWARAN RUTNAM)