Commonwealth Secretariat
  1. Home
  2. What's New
  3. Who We Are
  4. What We Do
    1. Democracy
    2. Economics
    3. Education
    4. Gender
    5. Governance
    6. Health
    7. Human Rights
    8. Law
    9. Small States
    10. Sport
    11. Sustainability
    12. Youth
    13. Millennium Development Goals
    14. Funding
  5. News
    1. Events
    2. News Archive Search
    3. Picture Stories
  6. Media Room
    1. Press Archive Search
    2. Media Contacts
    3. CommonwealthTV
    4. Podcast: Pick of the Commonwealth
    5. Events
    6. In the Media
    7. Updates
    8. Downloads
  7. Resources
    1. Documents
    2. Image Library
    3. Libary & Archives
    4. Publications
  8. Publications
  9. Employment
  10. FAQs
    1. Acronyms
  11. Contact Us
Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Secretary-General welcomes progress in Sri Lanka peace process

28 February 2003

Commonwealth Secretary-General welcomes progress in Sri Lanka peace process
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon today praised the progress achieved in the peace process in Sri Lanka. Speaking in Colombo on 28 February at the end of his visit to Sri Lanka, he paid tribute to the Government of Sri Lanka for the commitment it had demonstrated to resolve the ethnic conflict through negotiations and to build a durable peace. During the visit, Mr McKinnon called on President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and ministers involved in the peace negotiations.

"The Commonwealth fully supports the peace process in Sri Lanka and we wish it well," the Secretary-General said, adding: "The Commonwealth stands ready to assist in consolidating peace and assisting with post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation in all practicable ways."

Mr McKinnon visited Jaffna on Thursday 27 February, where he met representatives of the local administration and civil society organizations. He visited the newly reconstructed public library, the government hospital, the Nallur Kandasamy Temple and the city's main commercial area.

The Secretary-General also welcomed the engagement by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in dialogue and its willingness to resolve grievances by peaceful means, within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. "Conflict and killing had, as always, achieved nothing", he said. "Peaceful negotiation is the only way forward."
On Friday Mr McKinnon also visited the famous Kelaniya Temple near Colombo.
Note to Editors:

See separate News Release 03/13 regarding the Secretary-General's closing keynote address at the biennial conference of the Commonwealth Press Union in Colombo on 28 February.
Share this page
About this

ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6385/6 Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
Email: info@commonwealth.int