President meets Indian Foreign Secretary

Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon who is on a two day official visit here met President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (17) morning. The talks between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon lasted over one and half hours on strengthening the already existing good relations between the two countries a press release from the Presidential Secretariat said.

President Rajapaksa apprised the Indian Foreign Secretary of the current political and economic situation in the country and especially of the facilities and relief provided by the Government to the civilians in the North who were fleeing from the terrorist held areas to the Government administered territory the release said.

The two leaders also discussed the rehabilitation of the youth who were misled to join the terrorist group and the revival of democracy in the North especially for the benefit of the Tamil civilian population in the region who had been deprived of democratic governance. The humanitarian development programs to be implemented in the North were also discussed at length.

Menon was received on his arrival at the President’s House, Kandy by Additional Secretary to the President, Gamini Senerath and Additional Foreign Secretary, Prasad Kariyawasam.

Present at the talks were Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad, Secretary to President Lalith Weeratunga, Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona and Additional Secretary, Prasad Kariyawasam, the release said.