Saturday, May 2, 2015

Kerry & Mangala on US-Lanka Relations

Mangala_Kerry_May_2_SLGKerry in Kalaniya ( May nd, 2015)
by John Kerry and Mangala Samaraweera
Sri Lanka Guardian( May 2, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) FOREIGN MINISTER SAMARAWEERA: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It has been a great honor and our privilege to welcome the honorable John F. Kerry, Secretary of State of the United States of America, to the historic Republic building, which has been the home of the foreign minister of Sri Lanka since independence. In fact, Secretary Kerry’s visit is a momentous occasion for Sri Lanka, as it is the first official visit by a U.S. Secretary of State in nearly half a century – 43 years to be precise. And I believe that this important visit signifies the return of our little island nation to the center stage of international affairs.