Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G L Peiris, right, talking with Japan’s special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi, in Colombo yesterday.
IANS/Colombo
The Japanese government’s special peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi, met the external affairs minister in Colombo yesterday as part of an evaluation visit.
Sri Lanka’s government information department said following on the successful conduct of the first Northern Provincial Council elections in Sri Lanka, which was welcomed by Japan as a significant step forward in the national reconciliation process after many years of conflict, the government of Japan has decided to dispatch Akashi, to evaluate the present environment in Sri Lanka, Xinhua reported.
Akashi is expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapakse, along with other government officials and representatives of opposition parties as well as members of civil societies.
“During his meetings with government officials and others Akashi will emphasise the importance of continued efforts for national reconciliation toward the establishment of lasting peace,” the statement added.
This will be Akashi’s 23rd visit to Sri Lanka since he assumed the post in 2002.
Akashi will also meet Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran who was appointed after the first elections in over three decades in September.
The Northern Province was the epicentre of violence during the country’s three decades war, which ended in 2009. Japan has extensively funded post-war projects in Sri Lanka including landmine clearance.
In the first nine months of 2013, Japan became the second largest funder committing a total of $451.7mn for a range of projects including scholarships and a convention centre.
China remains Sri Lanka’s largest lender with $517.9million in the first three quarters of 2013.