President Mahinda Rajapaksa appreciating the cooperation extended by the United Nations Resident Coordinator Neil Buhne, who left the country yesterday after serving for over two and half years, said the government would continue to good relations with the United Nations (UN).
President Rajapaksa thanked Buhne for his cooperation during his tenure in Sri Lanka, especially in the challenging times towards the end of the humanitarian operation in 2009.
Buhne expressed his sincere appreciation for the many personalities that helped the UN during that period and said he looked forward to the success of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) which would in turn help the UN in its considerations of the present situation in Sri Lanka and programme on reconciliation.
Buhne is the 17th Representative of the United Nations since the UN first opened an office in 1952. In July 2007, he took up his responsibilities as UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, on his appointment by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. A Canadian, Buhne, has had ties to Sri Lanka since he began his career with the United Nations as a Junior Professional Officer with UNDP in Colombo in 1984.