UN chief appreciates Govt’s initiatives towards peace & reconciliation

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon expressed appreciation for the initiatives taken by the Government under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena towards peace and reconciliation in the country while protecting democratic rights of the people, Government Information Department said. In a telephone conversation with President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday (June 4), Mr. Ban Ki-Moon lauded the commitment displayed by President Sirisena to get the approval for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. He added that said he wished see the 20th amendment being passed in Sri Lanka’s legislature. The 20th Amendment, the UN Secretary General said, would create a new political culture in Sri Lanka while strengthening democracy. In response, President Sirisena said he would make his utmost effort to ensure the passage of the 20th Amendment in Parliament. The President told the UN Secretary General that he would attend the UN General Assembly in September, after forming a new government in Sri Lanka. The UN Secretary General also offered best wishes to the President for his future plans and promised to extend the UN’s fullest support in his future endeavors.