Ranil blames former regime

For placing SL on collision course with Int'l community:

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said despite the integral role played by Sri Lanka towards the establishment of the UN in 1945, the ignorant attitudes of certain politicians and other officials of the previous government placed the country on a collision path with the international community, which in turn stalled the country's journey forward.

Wickremesinghe made these remarks in his address at the twin anniversary celebrations held at the UN Compound in Colombo on Saturday. The UN was celebrating the 70th UN day and the 60th year since Sri Lanka became a member state of the UN.

"Sri Lanka was a globally reputed state and made a significant contribution towards the establishment of the UN.

Unfortunately, we did not receive due recognition towards those efforts and that itself was a major setback," he noted. Wickremesinghe pointed out Sri Lanka's political leadership since obtaining UN membership in 1955 has been working closely with the organisation and thereby won a special place in the international community.

He criticized the decisions made by certain politicians and officials of the previous regime that resulted in Sri Lanka embarking on a collision path with the international community.

"The former regime believed that if they allied themselves with states that did not see eye-to-eye with nations that challenged the state of affairs in Sri Lanka, it would help them overcome the issues that arose on an international level," he said while adding, "The former regime aspired for Sri Lanka to lead the beggars of the international community and thought that it would help fight off battles with powerful nations, failing to understand that it is not the way in which diplomatic relations play out. The Prime Ministers sentiments on the way in which Sri Lanka's relations with the UN and its agencies deteriorated during the past few years were reflected in the speech made by President Maithripala Sirisena as well.