Road closures spark public outcry during Iranian President’s visit

• The roads were closed to facilitate the movement of his convoy without any prior notice 

The closure of roads in Colombo without prior notice during evening rush hours as part of security arrangements for the visit of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi inconvenienced the public and motorists alike.  
Incensed by the notice of road closures, they vented their anger by honking horns. The government made tight security arrangements in view of the visit of the Iranian leader for the inauguration of the Uma Oya project.   
The roads were closed to facilitate the movement of his convoy without any prior notice as a security measure, but the motorists’ protest amounts to kind of an embarrassment for the government during the visit of a friendly country that has stood by Sri Lanka during its trying times. Iran and Sri Lanka have enjoyed excellent ties for decades and cooperated with each other in numerous international forums.