Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera meets US Secretary of State John Kerry
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera held official talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington DC on Thursday 12 February 2015.
Remarks by
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera before their meeting.
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
February 12, 2015
SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. It’s my great pleasure to welcome Foreign Minister Samaraweera from Sri Lanka. And this is an exciting moment for all of us here because Sri Lanka on January 8th had an historic election in which there has been really a vote for change, a vote to move Sri Lanka in a new direction, to open up greater accountability and possibility for the preservation of human rights, for democracy, for fighting corruption and putting together a government that will speak for and to the people. And we’re particularly excited about the 100-day plan that the new government has put forward. We wish them well in the days ahead, and we’re going to talk today about President Sirisena’s thoughts about how to move Sri Lanka away from 30 years of war with the Tamils to a country that is inclusive and prosperous and peaceful.
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