The Under Secretary for Political Affairs of the U.S. Department of State Victoria Nuland met with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa this (23) afternoon on her two day official visit to Sri Lanka.
The Under Secretary was briefed on the remarks made during the All Party Conference convened by the President this morning and the progresses made. She was also informed about the upcoming Friday meeting with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to which the Under Secretary expressed her admiration.
Nuland raised the importance of negotiating with the Diaspora in Canada, the United States of America and other European countries. In response, President Rajapaksa said he is eager to hold discussions with the Diaspora while inviting them to invest in the development projects undertaken in the Northern Province.
Under Secretary Nuland added that steps would be taken to introduce green technology of the US to Sri Lanka and to support the development of the cyber and information technology sectors.
Shedding light on the educational facilities in the country, the Under Secretary emphasised that higher education opportunities could be expanded with the assistance of the private sector.
The President told the Under Secretary that he had decided to seek the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) assistance to avoid the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and other events on the country’s economy. Appreciating the decision, Nuland assessed the Sri Lankan government’s move of amending the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
The Sri Lankan President called on the US delegation to assist in expanding the potential for renewable power generation.
MIAP
