Sri Lankan and Croatian Presidents agree to enhance bilateral ties

(May 17, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) President Mahinda Rajapaksa met with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on the sidelines of the Group of Eleven (G - 11) Meeting at the Dead Sea in Jordan last Saturday (16th May 2009), during which the two leaders agreed to further consolidate economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and Croatia. They agreed that much potential exists for cooperation in the fields of port development and shipbuilding.

President Rajapaksa briefed his Croatian counterpart on the action taken by his government to safeguard the civilian population living in northern Sri Lanka from LTTE terror. He emphasised that the safety and welfare of civilians is of utmost priority to the Sri Lankan government. The objective of the coordinated humanitarian mission launched by his government has been to rescue the thousands of civilians being used as human shields by the LTTE. He further observed that the humanitarian operation has now almost reached fruition, and that he would be returning to a country free of terrorism the following day.

President Mesic congratulated President Rajapaksa on the success achieved by his government in defeating terrorism, and expressed empathy with Sri Lanka during this critical phase in its history. He offered to share Croatia’s considerable expertise in demining during the post-conflict rebuilding phase of the territory laid waste by the LTTE. President Rajapaksa thanked Croatia for the support extended to Sri Lanka in the international fora, including in the United Nations, and for its continued understanding of the legitimate right of the Sri Lankan government to protect its civilian population from terrorism.

They also referred to the longstanding bilateral relations existing between the two countries, emanating from the friendly relations established between Sri Lanka and former Yugoslavia within the framework of the Non-Aligned Movement. They pledged their commitment to expand these historic relations into new areas of cooperation in the future. President Rajapsaka accepted the invitation extended by President Mesic to visit Croatia at a mutually convenient time in the future.

-Sri Lanka Guardian