Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath met with the Colombo-based diplomats to update on the Government’s progress and outlined initial future plans, at an interactive session which was held at the Foreign Ministry yesterday (14).
Minister Herath, addressing the diplomats, said that it will be only after the Parliamentary Election is concluded in November that the new Government will be able to fully focus on operationalising its way forward at which stage the government looks forward to having further comprehensive discussions related to bilateral matters with each country’s representative.
The Foreign Minister said that the Government is making significant progress on the debt restructuring process which is paving its way for the third review under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme that will further cement economic stability and reinforce the foundation for sustainable, inclusive economic recovery and growth.
The Minister said that under the new National People’s Power (NPP) government, stabilisation measures will be aligned with efforts to improve the living standards of the citizens and ease the economic burdens.
He said that the NPP Government is committed towards ensuring that economic growth is truly inclusive, which will at the same time drive growth and investment, with the confidence of the country’s private sector and business community.
Minister Herath said that the new administration’s focus is on ethical governance, combating corruption and ensuring accountability and said that economic success must align with these values.
“In line with the commitments made by us on zero tolerance for bribery and corruption we have already commenced investigations into certain key matters. Another key objective of this Government is to end the era of division based on race, religion, class and other differences and build a nation that respects diversity. We are ready to bring in the necessary constitutional, economic, and political reforms towards this end,” Minister Herath said.
He said that Sri Lanka has also applied for membership in BRICS.
He said that however, the President and he, as the Foreign Minister, will not attend the BRICS Outreach Summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 23 and 24, due to the upcoming Parliamentary elections. The Foreign Secretary will represent Sri Lanka and formally submit the membership request.
The Foreign Minister while addressing matters related to human rights reiterated the Government’s opposition to the recent United Nations (UN) resolution establishing an external mechanism to investigate human rights issues and while thanking the countries that took helpful and principled positions in support of Sri Lanka in Geneva, also emphasised that despite rejecting the UN resolution, Sri Lanka will continue constructive engagement with the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Minister Herath also informed the diplomatic community that the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers meeting under Sri Lanka’s chairmanship will have to be postponed till next year due to the upcoming Parliamentary elections.
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