Counter-terrorism measures:

Russia pledges support to Sri Lanka

The Government of the Russian Federation strongly supports the efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the island. This pledge was made by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov to his Sri Lankan counterpart, Rohitha Bogollagama during a telephone discussion on Wednesday.

Minister Bogollagama who initiated the telephone call, gave a comprehensive account to the Russian Foreign Minister of the action taken by the Sri Lankan Security Forces in recent weeks to liberate thousands of civilians entrapped by the LTTE as hostages in the No Fire Zone (NFZ).

The LTTE was still holding the remaining civilian population as human shields in a rapidly shrinking strip of land in the NFZ on the north eastern coast of Sri Lanka, near Mullaitivu. The Minister said that the Security Forces are taking extraordinary precautions in their operations to rescue the remaining civilians from LTTE control to avoid causing civilian casualties.

Minister Bogollagama also briefed his Russian counterpart on the massive humanitarian relief effort undertaken by the Government, with the support of the international community to provide the large number of civilians who have escaped from the clutches of the LTTE and come over to the cleared areas, food, temporary accommodation in IDP transit camps and welfare villages, medical and other essential services.

The Minister said that the Government is committed to the re-settlement of all displaced civilians in their original places of habitation in the shortest possible time.