Breaking News

No softening of stand on SL: US

03 Oct 2014 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The US said that there has been no softening of its stand on Sri Lanka with regard to the human rights situation, as being reported in a section of the media.

The news report about such a change in American stance came after recent meeting of Secretary of State John Kerry, with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in New York on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.

"The only thing that was right was that the Secretary did speak with the Sri Lankan president on the margins of the UN General Assembly," State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington denying such reports in this regard.

"He (Kerry) did so with the express purpose of conveying that US policy with regard to Sri Lanka has not changed and it certainly has not softened," she said in response to a question.

"We would, of course, like our relationship with Sri Lanka to achieve its full potential, but that will only happen if Sri Lanka builds enduring peace and prosperity for all of its diverse ethnic and religious communities," she said.

"And that's why the Secretary, in no uncertain terms, made clear to the president that Sri Lanka needed to take meaningful steps to act like a country that is no longer at war and instead is now building a future that includes all of its citizens. So certainly it had the opposite purpose," Psaki said. (PTI)

Related link

US stance on SL softens

Breaking News

No softening of stand on SL: US

Most Popular Articles

Breaking Down the Israel–Iran Conflict: What We Know So Far - Day 108

’’Cut out the noise, focus on your game’’; Sri Lanka great reaches out to Sooryavanshi

Struggling Pizza Hut chain to be sold for $2.7bn

Alleged mastermind behind Rs. 210 Billion illegal Dollar transfer network arrested

Sri Lankan Rupee appreciates further against US Dollar

Sri Lanka find right combination in WI defeat

Latest News

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to have separate changing room during England series. Here’s why

O/L 2025 certificates to be issued only through online system

Second reading of National Environment Amendment Bill approved

Power outages hit France as record heatwave set to peak

Further hearing into Gotabaya’s writ petition fixed for July 6