Colombo: Press Conference by Under Secretary Otero and Assistant Secretary Blake
Item
Title
Colombo: Press Conference by Under Secretary Otero and Assistant Secretary Blake
Description
I’ve had serious and productive meetings with the government of Sri Lanka as well as with civil society, political leaders, and journalists. President Rajapaksa was kind enough to meet with me and to explain this government’s vision to advance reconciliation among Sri Lanka’s ethnic communities since the end of the conflict. I also had fruitful meetings with the Minister of External Affairs and the Secretary of Defense among others.
The United States has a long friendship with Sri Lanka, and we were one of the first countries to recognize the LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Since 1956 USAID has provided over $2 billion in assistance to Sri Lanka. This work benefits all Sri Lankans with initiatives in economic growth, agricultural development, environment, and natural resources, health, education and training democracy and governance and community conciliation and humanitarian assistance.
Current assistance is shifting from relief to sustainable development and it’s focused on two key areas -- economic growth for conflict-affected regions, and [inaudible] cooperation between the state and an engaged, active civil society.
The United States has a long friendship with Sri Lanka, and we were one of the first countries to recognize the LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Since 1956 USAID has provided over $2 billion in assistance to Sri Lanka. This work benefits all Sri Lankans with initiatives in economic growth, agricultural development, environment, and natural resources, health, education and training democracy and governance and community conciliation and humanitarian assistance.
Current assistance is shifting from relief to sustainable development and it’s focused on two key areas -- economic growth for conflict-affected regions, and [inaudible] cooperation between the state and an engaged, active civil society.
Source
https://web.archive.org/web/20120225101100/http://srilanka.usembassy.gov/tr-13feb12.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20131214001006/https://www.lankastandard.com/2012/02/transcript-of-press-conference-by-under-secretary-maria-otero-and-assistant-secretary-robert-o-blake-jr-in-colombo/
https://web.archive.org/web/20131214001006/https://www.lankastandard.com/2012/02/transcript-of-press-conference-by-under-secretary-maria-otero-and-assistant-secretary-robert-o-blake-jr-in-colombo/
Date
2012-02-13