LEANING TOWARDS CHINA...SOON THREAT TO INDIA...!!!

Rajapaksa may visit India after Myanmar


B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is all set to make an official visit to Myanmar ‘shortly,’ possibly the first foreign country he would be visiting in the post-war scenario.

In a message addressed to Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, Mr. Rajapaksa said: “My visit to the Union of Myanmar this month and the numerous other activities planned to take place in our two countries as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations will further consolidate our bilateral relations.”

Asked about a possible visit to India, sources in the Presidential Secretariat said: “The plans have not been firmed up yet. He could undertake a visit to India after his return from Myanmar.”

In his message, Mr. Rajapaksa said the Theravada Buddhist traditions existing between the two countries had always been the pinnacle in bilateral ties.

“This is evidenced in the Ramanne and Amarapura Buddhist orders established in Sri Lanka.”

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry quoted the Deputy Chief of General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of the People’s Republic of China Ma Xiaotian as having expressed his satisfaction with the Sri Lankan government’s military defeat of the LTTE.

“He told Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagma that he was aware of the latest developments in Sri Lanka, during a bilateral meeting on the margins of the 8th Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore last week. Lt.Gen. Ma added that China extended $1 million to assist the IDPs in Sri Lanka and that it would be willing to further assist Sri Lanka, particularly in the areas of rehabilitation, resettlement and social advancement.

He also highlighted the importance China placed on bilateral relations, territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations and expressed his appreciation of Sri Lanka’s position on the “One China Policy,” it said.

The Minister expressed his appreciation for Chinese assistance in the development of the Hambantota Port, Norochcholai Power Project and the Performing Arts Theatre and added that the close relationship between the two countries was reflected with the Rs. 2.5 million pledged by the staff of the Embassy of China in Colombo for the welfare of the war-displaced.

The statement said Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was present at the meeting, thanked the Chinese government for providing placements for four senior military officers at the National Defense University in China. Lt.Gen. Ma said the PLA Military Academy was training 39 Sri Lankan officers and this year the number will be raised to 45.

HINDU.COM