President tells State House in Nairobi :

Considerable potential to expand Lanka–Kenya ties

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka has entered an era of peace, having overcome the threat of terrorism, and the country now stands undivided under one flag,

“Sri Lanka has now entered an era of peace, having overcome the threat of terrorism, which plagued the country for over three decades. We stand undivided now, under one flag, committed to achieving sustainable economic prosperity, to be shared by all communities,” the President said in his address at the state banquet hosted by his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyata at the State House in Nairobi on Friday. President Rajapaksa, who is on a four-day state visit to Kenya, expressed his appreciation to Kenya for the “understanding and unwavering support” extended to Sri Lanka to eliminate the menace of terrorism in the island nation and in overcoming the challenges of the post-terrorism era.

“This, together with Kenya’s solidarity with Sri Lanka in international fora, is a manifestation of the deep understanding and friendship we share,” he said.

President Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka seeks to build a modern, dynamic partnership with Kenya, having identified several areas for focused cooperation.

“To this end, we will, during my visit, sign formal agreements and establish the Kenya - Sri Lanka joint commission, graduating our relationship to greater heights,” he said, adding that he is convinced that there is considerable potential for the expansion of economic relations between the two countries. “It is for this reason that leading business persons of my country, who are keenly interested in developing partnerships with their Kenyan counterparts, have accompanied me on this visit.

“My country is now enjoying rapid economic development, with tourism becoming a major growth sector,” he said.

He pointed out that the prevalent stable environment for investment provides many opportunities for the business communities.