INDO-LANKA JOINT STATEMENT-India and Sri Lanka agree on IDP timetable, political solution
Posted on May 22nd, 2009

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, Geneva

Joint press statement issued after IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon met President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo on 20th and 21st May 2009:

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ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Mr. M.K. Narayanan, National Security Advisor and Mr. S. Menon, Foreign Secretary of India visited Sri Lanka on 20 and 21 May. They called on His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka and met with senior officials, including Hon. Basil Rajapaksa, MP, Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President and Defence Secretary, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa. They also interacted with a number of political parties in Sri Lanka.


Both sides agreed that with the end of military operations in Sri Lanka, the time was opportune to focus attention on issues of relief, rehabilitation, resettlement and re-conciliation including a permanent political solution in Sri Lanka.


Following their agreement of 26 October 2008, both sides have been co-operating in providing humanitarian relief and assistance to IDPs in Sri Lanka. This includes medical assistance in the form of a field hospital, urgently needed medicines and medical supplies as well as food, clothing and shelter material.


Both sides emphasized the urgent need to resettle the IDPs in their villages and towns of habitation and to provide them necessary basic and civil infrastructure as well as means of livelihood to resume their normal lives at the earliest possible. To this end, the Government of Sri Lanka indicated that it was their intention to dismantle the welfare villages at the earliest and outlined a 180 day plan to re-settle the bulk of IDPs to their original places of habitation. The Government of India committed to provide all possible assistance in the implementation of such a plan in areas such as de-mining, provision of civil infrastructure and re-construction of houses. All these activities will be implemented in close consultation and co-operation with the Government of Sri Lanka.


Both sides also emphasized the urgent necessity of arriving at a lasting political settlement in Sri Lanka. To this, the Government of Sri Lanka indicated that it will proceed with implementation of the 13th Amendment.


Further, the Government of Sri Lanka also intends to begin a broader dialogue with all parties, including the Tamil parties, in the new circumstances, for further enhancement of political arrangements to bring about lasting peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

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21 May 2009

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ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ News Update Service
Thursday, May 21, 2009 : 1900 Hrs ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

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Sri Lanka ready for devolution to Tamil areas

Colombo (PTI): With LTTE out of its way, Sri Lanka on Thursday assured India that it will implement a law for devolving powers to Tamil-dominated areas as both the countries agreed on the need for a lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict.

The assurance was contained in a joint statement issued after National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon met President Mahinda Rajapaksa here, three days after LTTE chief Velupillai Prabakaran was eliminated and the country was declared free of terrorism.

Sri Lanka and India agreed that with the end of the military operations, the focus should be on issues of relief, rehabilitation, resettlement and reconciliation, including a permanent political solution in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Menon told reporters after the meeting that Sri Lanka appeared willing to go beyond the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord which for the first time set up a devolution plan for the ethnically-divided nation.

“Our discussions were within the framework of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace agreement. The President is not only willing to implement the 13th Amendment (set up under the Rajiv Gandhi-Jayawardene accord) but is willing to go the extra mile,” he said.

Mr. Menon and Mr. Narayanan, who arrived here on Wednesday, had a breakfast meeting with the President at his ‘Temple Trees’ residence.

The two also met with senior officials and Basil Rajapaksa, President’s Senior Adviser, Lalith Weerathunga, President’s secretary and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The two envoys said the Sri Lankan Government outlined a 180-day plan to resettle the tens of thousands of civilians who were displaced due to the fighting between the security forces and the LTTE.

India was willing to cooperate closely with the Sri Lankan side in reconstruction and rehabilitation as well as demining of areas for resettling civilians in their towns and villages.

The Sri Lankan side said that India had offered support for the huge reconstruction effort and was keen to ensure that civilians returned from the camps for the internally displaced persons at the earliest.

Both sides emphasised the urgent need to resettle the IDPs in their towns and villages of habitation and to provide them necessary basic and civic infrastructure as well as means of livelihood to resume their normal lives at the earliest possible.

To this end, the Government of Sri Lanka indicated that it was its intention to dismantle the relief camps at the earliest.

Web News: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/000200905211780.htm

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