United States’ Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, who is on an official visit to the island, has met with leaders from across Sri Lanka’s political spectrum including opposition parties the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the National Peoples’ Power (NPP).
US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung also took part in the discussions held on Monday (13).
Posting on ‘X’, Ambassador Chung stated that the two meetings were aimed at gaining knowledge on Sri Lanka’s upcoming elections and the perspectives of the political parties regarding the country’s economic recovery, and their vision for the nation’s path forward.
During the meeting with representatives from the NPP, the discussion focused on Sri Lanka’s current economic situation, the intervention of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the conducting of free and fair elections and the security of the Indian Ocean region.
Several members of the NPP Executive Committee including Wasantha Samarasinghe, Vijitha Herath and Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa were present at this occasion.
In a separate discussion attended by the SJB parliamentarians led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, the Assistant Secretary of State and Sri Lanka’s main opposition party had discussed enhancing the ongoing partnership between Sri Lanka and the United States.
The Opposition Leader has also appealed to Mr. Lu for assistance in addressing the country’s current financial challenges.
Meanwhile, several opposition MPs including Dr. Harsha de Silva and Prof. G.L. Peiris were present during the discussion.
