Hugo Swire meets President Sirisena
UK Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire has concluded his second visit to Sri Lanka, in the first Ministerial visit since the formation of a new Government.
Minister Swire called on President Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and other senior ministers – including the Minister for Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu Affairs D M Swaminathan – to discuss the new government’s reform programme and areas of potential co-operation.
He also met the new civilian Governor of the Northern Province H.M.G.S. Palihakkara, local politicians and members of civil society in Colombo, as well as visiting the Chief Minister Wigneswaran in Jaffna and seeing other parts of the Northern Province, including the Sabapathipillai welfare village, last visited by Prime Minister David Cameron in November 2013.
While in the Northern Province, Mr Swire also visited the British Council and Muhamalai where British demining agency, The HALO Trust, is clearing land to make it liveable again. The UK has contributed over £ 5 million towards demining in Sri Lanka since 2009.
