President Maithripala Sirisena says UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon did not set deadlines for reconciliation and that he told the UN chief to give time to move slowly as Sri Lanka has come out of a long conflict. 

The President revealed this during a meeting with the head of media organisations at the President’s House today (2).

Ban Ki-moon, who is currently on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka, held talks with President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s House in Colombo yesterday. 

The President described his talks with the visiting UN chief and said that he explained the steps taken to strengthen democracy through the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and the establishment of Constitutional Council and Commissions. 

He also briefed about the reconciliation process, return of land in the North to original owners, resettlement, rehabilitation and development.

Mr Ban Ki-moon expressed his appreciation over the progress made by the government and assured fullest cooperation and assistance to the government for carrying out these tasks, he said. 

“UN Secretary General’s smiling face, when he expressed his appreciation, is a glowing reflection of the United Nation’s goodwill towards Sri Lanka,” the President said.

“During the hour-long bilateral discussion and the 10 minute one-on-one discussion with Mr Ban Ki-moon, there was no mention about the UNHRC resolution,” he answered when a journalist wanted to know if the Secretary General raised the issue of UNHRC.