US notes Sri Lanka must protect rights of all its citizens

The United States today noted that?Sri Lanka must protect the rights of all its citizens.

The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka,?Atul Keshap said that?Sri Lanka?s progress as a democracy that will protect the rights of all its citizens and promote their prosperity regardless of ethnicity or religion can create opportunities for the growing military-to-military cooperation between the US and Sri Lanka.

He said this in a statement released by the US Embassy in Colombo today with regards to the just concluded visit to Sri Lanka by a delegation from the US.

A bipartisan delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives visited Colombo from May 29 to 30 led by Congressman Mac Thornberry (Republican – Texas), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

The US Embassy said that the visit highlighted the?broad bipartisan support for Sri Lanka in the US Congress.

?Across the US Government, we see value in expanding our security partnership in ways that benefit the United States and Sri Lanka,? Ambassador Keshap said.

During the visit, the delegation?met?with President?Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister?Ranil Wickremesinghe,?Speaker of the Parliament?Karu Jayasuriya,?Leader of the Opposition and Tamil National Alliance?R. Sampanthan,?State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardena, Foreign Secretary Prasad?Kariyawasam, Defense Secretary?Kapila Waidyaratne,?members of Parliament, and civil society.

Members of the delegation also included Congressman Henry Cuellar (Democrat – Texas), Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (Republican – Missouri), and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (Democrat ? New Hampshire). (Colombo Gazette)