Representatives from international donor agencies that are providing development assistance to Sri Lanka said that they are ready to extend their fullest support for the efforts taken by the Sri Lankan President to achieve goals of development and reconciliation.
A meeting between President Maithripala Sirisena and those representatives was held at the President’s Official Residence, on September fifth.
Representatives from leading international donor agencies, including Japan International Cooperation Agency, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, United States Agency for International Development and Korea International Cooperation Agency participated in this meeting.
President Sirisena thanked them for the support extended by these international financial institutions over a long period of time for the development programmes of Sri Lanka and further said that it is expected to expand this cooperation across a wide range of areas.
The President, said that his objective is to deliver equal development benefits to all the citizens of the country while developing all nine provinces of the country in an equal manner. He also noted that the Government is giving prominent attention to develop the North and East of the country which faced destruction due to the war while giving them the right to development.
President Sirisena also said that the assistance of the international organisations required to develop infrastructure facilities including providing a solution to the drinking water issue of these people. He also stressed that the Government is doing a great deal of work to eliminate poverty from the country while declaring a poverty eradicating year and implementing programmes.
Rehabilitating 88% of the people of North Eastern Provinces has been almost done while the President admits that the Government is moving forward with the aim that the remaining 12% should be completed as early as possible and will pay special attention on providing solutions to the unemployment of the youth in North Eastern provinces and the issue of narcotic drug control. Special programmes are being implemented for this purpose.
President Sirisena said that it is important to receive the contribution of all the political representatives for the development procedure conducted by the current government in Northern and Eastern provinces and that it is his aim to see the victory of these objectives of development and reconciliation.
He also said that he has received the Interim Report of the Office of the Missing Persons established to look into the missing persons issue and that a cabinet sub -committee will be established to study the Report.
The President requested the representatives to support the programme conducted for the welfare of the families of missing persons.
He emphasised that the Government is dedicated towards building clean governance free of bribery and corruption.
Secretary to the President, Udaya R. Seneviratne, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance R.H.S. Samaratunga, and other government officers were also present.