Top US diplomat holds key meetings in Lanka

Biden administration's point person for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, on Friday met Sri Lankan leaders, including Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and explored support to the island nation's economic reform agenda through tailored technical assistance.

The US Embassy in Colombo said the visit by Lu, who is heading a US inter-agency delegation, was meant to advance US-Sri Lankan joint efforts to promote sustainable economic growth, combat corruption, and strengthen people-to-people ties.

Lu, the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, is currently in Colombo as part of his tri-nation visit to India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Lu was joined at the meetings by USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Anjali Kaur and Department of the Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert Kaproth.

"The discussions were aimed to support its efforts to combat corruption, and explore how the United States can support Sri Lanka's governance and economic reform agenda through tailored technical assistance, capacity building, and development programmes," officials said.

Lu also called on the Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena and Speaker of Parliament Ashoka Ranwala.

The delegation also met with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa to discuss "the essential role of diverse voices in a vibrant democracy," US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, posted on X, and added, "The conversation focussed on priorities such as inclusive governance, accountability, and economic prosperity." Representatives from the civil society too met with the delegation and "shared continued concerns about pending and new legislation like the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Online Safety Act, and NGO Bill," she said in another post on X.

"The future of Sri Lanka is driven by its people, and the US supports inclusive governance that reflects their voices and contributions," Chung added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)