Namal Rajapaksa holds special discussions with Ambassador Akashi in Tokyo

Namal Rajapaksa, Member of Parliament and Special Envoy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is currently visiting Tokyo to attend an Annual Sri Lanka Tea and Trade Promotion Seminar and also to have bilateral discussions with key Japanese dignitaries including Yasushi Akashi, Special Representative of the Government of Japan for Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa during discussions on Thursday, 8 March informed Akashi of the ongoing progress in the country and the rapid development in the north east region.
He also emphasised the important role played by the Government in resettling the people back in their villages in the north east and the reconstruction of their homes, which is a key priority of the Government.
He further informed that the reconciliation programme for rehabilitated cadres is also progressing successfully and a large number of rehabilitated cadres have now been sent back to their villages with special financial assistance given by the Government for them to start their own self-employment projects.
Rajapaksa, while stressing the rapid development taking place in the north east region, expressed the Government’s strong commitment to the people of this region with 70 per cent of foreign grants and loans already being extended by the Government to the development of this region.
Akashi while congratulating the Government of Sri Lanka for the great progress being made in Sri Lanka expressed his views on the current status of the LLRC report and the need for Sri Lanka’s commitment to the full implementation of the LLRC report. Akashi also stressed the importance of the strong bilateral relations between Japan and Sri Lanka and that Japan will always support and stand by Sri Lanka whenever assistance is needed.
Rajapaksa acknowledged the continuous assistance and support extended to Sri Lanka by the Government of Japan over the years and expressed the need for stronger bilateral relations highlighting the 60 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Japan being commemorated in both countries this year in 2012.