| Foreign Minister of the Sultanate of Oman pledges support for Sri Lanka |
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| Tuesday, 26 April 2011 04:02 |
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Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris was received by His Excellency Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Muscat, Oman, on Sunday, 24 April.2011.
Prof. Peiris briefed his counterpart in detail about the developments connected with the report of the experts appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban-ki Moon with regard to Sri Lanka. Minister Peiris explained that publication of this report, which is not an official U.N. document, will inflict great damage on the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, especially at a time when the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission of Sri Lanka is continuing with its work and has not yet submitted its report. Prof. Peiris also informed Oman’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, of the reasons why any action based on the panel report, which was described as being entirely advisory, is demonstrably contrary to principle, and therefore unacceptable. Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, responding to his Sri Lankan counterpart, expressed the view that it is inappropriate to embark on any course of action which would have the effect of impeding the healing of wounds and the forging of a national consciousness of unity and solidarity, soon after Sri Lanka had emerged from a painful conflict. He said that it is important to await the report of the local mechanism which Sri Lanka had set up, and consider the report objectively. He told Minister Peiris that the Sultanate of Oman would request the U.N Secretariat not to proceed to publication of the panel report at this time. Prof. Peiris, referring to the recent deliberations in the United Arab Emirates on the subject of piracy, stated that the Government of Sri Lanka had succeeded not only in bringing peace and stability to our own country, but had also ensured that the sea lanes in the region remained safe for international navigation. Sri Lanka had also handled difficult issues in such a manner as to prevent problems arising in respect of such matters as the proliferation of small arms, refugee issues and collaboration among terrorist groups in the region.
The Foreign Minister of Oman agreed that this had resulted in considerable benefits not only for Sri Lanka but for peace and stability in the region, as a whole. Prof. Peiris requested Minister Alawi bin Abdullah to bring Sri Lanka’s views to the attention of the other countries comprising the Gulf Co-operation Council. Embassy of Sri Lanka |
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