US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert O. Blake, who arrived in the country last night, is set to meet representatives of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) today evening for discussions.
TNA leader R. Sampanthan and MP M. A. Sumanthiran are to attend the discussions, which is scheduled to take place at 4.45 pm today (February 12) in Colombo.
Present situation of the ongoing talks between the TNA and the government is said to be one of the topics which will be discussed.
Robert Blake, a former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, and Maria Otero Under Secretary for Civilian Protection, Human rights and Democracy have arrived in Sri Lanka, the External Affairs Ministry said.
The two top US diplomats will meet External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris and other government officials during their stay till February 14.
The visit comes amidst speculation that US would move a resolution against Sri Lanka at the next session of the UNHRC getting underway later this month in Geneva.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington D.C. today said that a group of influential US Congressmen in a letter to President Barack Obama had urged strengthening ties between US and Sri Lanka, noting the island nation’s triumph over terrorism.
The letter signed by Republican Jack Kingston and 11 others both Republican and Democratic says for the first time in a generation the US has an opportunity to develop its relations with Sri Lanka.
