Kerry appreciates Lanka's steps on reconciliation

US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday appreciated the government for the very impressive continuing steps towards reconciliation. "Their efforts to try to address the regional issues, and most importantly, to make peace in their own country are very, very significant,"

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera met with the Secretary Kerry at the State Department before the first Sri Lanka US Partnership Dialogue which will commence today.

"We’ve had an ongoing dialogue. This is the eve of a Strategic Dialogue with Sri Lanka, which will be led by our Under Secretary Tom Shannon, and we very much look forward to defining the roadmap ahead for continued progress," he said.

While acknowledgeding that the US- Lanka relations are back in the tracks with the the first visit by a Secretary of State of the United States of America in 43 years in last year, Minister Samarweera said now the bilateral relations between the two countries have been elevated into a very cordial relationship. "We also had a cabinet-level visit of Samantha Power last May, and of course, many other visits by high-level officials of the State Department,"

"And this has elevated what has always been a very cordial relationship to what I would call a very special friendship between the United States of America and Sri Lanka. And that is why I’m looking forward for the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue, which I’m sure will go – which will further strengthen and broaden the relationship between our two countries." Minister Samaraweera said.