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Sri Lankan government is committed
to finding a political solution and not a military one
to the ongoing conflict, President Mahinda Rajapaksa
said in an exclusive interview with the Kuwait News
Agency (KUNA), according to The Daily Star, Kuwait Edition.
“There is s more focused attitude towards achieving
peace through negotiation and consensus," since
he assumed office, the President told the KUNA. Speaking
on the current situation the President said:, "I
cannot say that my government is happy with the progress
made so far in peace talks (with the LTTE). But we keep
trying. My government is open to negotiations. Personally,
I am against war and favor peace. However, if LTTE engages
in terrorism, my government has the right to take action."
The President also expressed confidence
that under the able leadership of the Amir of Kuwait,
friendship and cooperation that existed between the
two nations would continue to expand, adding that his
proposed visit to the Gulf state would further deepen
bilateral ties.
The Daily Star report:
Sri Lankan President says ties with
Kuwait to deepen
Khaled AlÜEnezi and Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, KUNA
NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan President
Mahinda Rajapakse expressed confidence that under the
able leadership of the Amir of Kuwait, friendship and
cooperation that existed between the two nations would
continue to expand, adding that his proposed visit to
the Gulf state would further deepen bilateral ties.
In an exclusive interview
with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Friday, the Sri Lankan
President said, "Sri Lanka and Kuwait continue
to enjoy friendly relations. Both countries are members
of the NonÜAligned Movement and share common perceptions
on a wide range of important issues."
He recalled how his country supported the entry of Kuwait
to the UN in 1963, and then the establishment of formal
diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1971.
"During the 1990 invasion
of Kuwait, Sri Lanka supported all UN resolutions against
the invasion. Sri Lanka was one of the first countries
to reopen its embassy in Kuwait after the Gulf War,"
Rajapakse said.
Moreover, the president said
Kuwait was a major destination for Sri Lankan expatriates,
with some 200,000 workers there at present, adding that
"the presence of so many Sri Lankans in Kuwait
itself helps in strengthening the bonds between our
two countries. Their contribution to Sri Lanka''s economy
is also very important."
To further strengthen bilateral
relations, the Sri Lankan president said highÜlevel
visits were proposed and agreements on culture and tourism
were also being mulled, as well as promoting investments
and Sri Lanka as a tourism destination.
Trade promotion was another
aspect that was being considered, he said, noting the
visit of Kuwait''s commerce minister to his country
in January 2007 to promote trade and investment between
the two countries. The President''s proposed visit would
further strengthen bilateral relations.
"We appreciate the government
of Kuwait''s assistance provided for several projects
in Sri Lanka under Kuwait Fund for Arabic Economic Development
(KFAED). I believe the present level of trade between
our countries could be expanded through avenues such
as nonÜtraditional exports from Sri Lanka, which
will break new grounds in trade relations," Rajapakse
said.
The president, expressing
his gratitude for Kuwait''s assistance to Sri Lanka
following the devastating tsunami in 2004, said that
KFAED was engaged in rehabilitation projects of tsunamiÜdamaged
educational and administrative institutions at a total
administrative cost of 20 million US dollars.
Moreover, he said a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the District
Secretary of the Ampara and Kuwait Red Crescent Society
(KRCS) to provide permanent shelter to those displaced
by the tsunami and that KRCS had undertaken the construction
of 100 housing units for the displaced in the Nintavur
Divisional Secretariat Division in the Eastern Ampara
District.
"The Sri Lankan government is satisfied that the
Kuwait assistance made available to the country has
been well utilized," the President said.
On bilateral trade, the president
said it had shown considerable increase, where in 2006
the total trade turnover was 21 million US dollars.
Welcoming Kuwaiti investors
to Sri Lanka, Rajapakse said, "Kuwaiti investors
are welcome to explore the possibility of setting up
industries particularly in the fields of agriculture
and fisheries.
"In fact cooperation
in the fisheries sector would help two our countries
to tap the potential in a wider international market.
Sri Lanka has the potential to provide skilled and semiÜskilled
personnel in IT, accounts and nursing fields in Kuwait.
"Kuwait can also invest
in Sri Lanka''s software development and real estate
sector for which our Board of Investment offers attractive
investment packages through free trade industrial zones."
He said there was also opportunity for Kuwaitis "to
support joint venture projects between the governments
to set up an oil refinery in Hambantota" and explore
the possibility of supplying natural gas and cement
for Sri Lanka''s building and construction sectors.
On Sri Lanka''s ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
member states, President Rajapakse said, "The bonds
of friendship and cooperation with the GCC countries
have been further strengthened by the invaluable contribution
and active participation of Sri Lankan expatriates in
the economic and development of these nations."
Moreover, he said successive
Sri Lankan governments had supported the Arab cause
at various international forums and this in turn cemented
"our good ties with the region."
He noted that his country had chaired the UN''s Israeli
Practices Committee to look into the grievances of the
Arabs in occupied territories, adding, "The yeomen
service rendered by this committee has been praised
by the international community in general and the Arab
community in particular."
The president also pointed
out the many agreements signed between his country and
GCC member states to promote bilateral trade, as well
as those on aviation, avoiding double taxation, tourism,
reciprocal customs exemptions, among others.
Free trade and bilateral investment
protection agreements are also being considered, he
said.
"The creation of joint business councils is also
important to enhance trade relations," the president
said, inviting GCC businesses to come to his country.
Sri Lanka''s exports to the
GCC had increased in 2005 to 209 million US dollars
from 167 million dollars in 2004. Imports from GCC to
Sri Lanka in 2005 went up to 394 million after having
been at 358 million dollars in 2004.
On the Iranian nuclear issue,
Rajapakse said, "Sri Lanka encourages all parties
concerned to find a solution to Iran''s nuclear issue
through diplomatic means with a view to arrive at a
long term, nonÜdiscriminatory and just solution
acceptable to all the parties, and all the nations."
With regard to nuclear nonÜproliferation,
he said Sri Lanka continued to place its trust on international
treaty obligations in spheres related to nuclear nonÜproliferation
and disarmament.
He added that Sri Lanka believed that nuclear disarmament
"is of concern to entire international community
and there is an urgent need to renew international cooperation
to strengthen the nuclear nonÜproliferation regime
and its collective efforts in nuclear disarmament."
The president said that on
the Iranian issue in particular, Sri Lanka "maintains
that all states party to the nonÜproliferation
treaty (NPT), have a right to explore exploit nuclear
energy for peaceful purposes, in conformity with the
relevant international legal obligations."
Sri Lanka, he said, hoped
that the Iran nuclear issue would be resolved through
negotiations and dialogue, but said that in the meantime,
"the primary responsibility to achieve nuclear
disarmament lies with the nuclear weapon states and
therefore, we hope that they will pursue these objectives
in good faith."
He said his country was "deeply
concerned" over the "lack of progress by the
nuclear weapon states to accomplish the goal of elimination
of their nuclear arsenals leading nuclear disarmament."
Furthermore, he said Sri Lanka,
as a member of the conference on disarmament, would
"continue to play its role as a moderate country
and as a consensusÜbuilder to facilitate the process
of achieving nuclear disarmament."
Speaking on terrorism in Sri
Lanka, Rajapakse said that since he took over as president,
"there is s more focused attitude towards achieving
peace through negotiation and consensus."
He explained that within a
month of his election, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) escalated attacks on civilians and security forces,
but that his government "acted in a manner of restraint"
and had given its "pledged" to give highest
priority to launching a new peace process.
Rajapakse said, however, "I
cannot say that my government is happy with the progress
made so far in peace talks (with the LTTE). But we keep
trying. My government is open to negotiations. Personally,
I am against war and favor peace. However, if LTTE engages
in terrorism, my government has the right to take action."
He said he was working on
"a roadmap to end violence and achieve peace process"
and that the Sri Lankan government is committed to finding
a political solution and not a military one."
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