Sri Lanka to build strong ties with new UK government

Sri Lankan government has expressed its desire to improve its relationship with the United Kingdom and to rekindle its ties with the new British government.

Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said that Sri Lanka desires to step up ties with Britain following the victory of the Conservative party at the Parliamentary election.
Noting that that similar to Sri Lanka, there is a new beginning in Britain the Minister said Sri Lanka has longstanding close relations with Britain on cultural, educational, and other sectors and needs to further strengthen these bonds.

Minister Peiris expressing optimism that it would not be a difficult task said the government plans to build very deep and strong links with the new British government.
The relationship between the two countries soured during Britain's Labor Party government of Gordon Brown.
Sri Lanka accused the previous British government of meddling in the country's internal affairs during the height of the armed conflict when the UK government put pressure on Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to halt the offensive against the LTTE and call a ceasefire.
Britain is yet to form a government following the May 6th elections which resulted in a hung parliament for the first time in 36 years. The Conservatives who received 306 seats, 20 short of the 326 needed to form the one-party government is negotiating with the Liberal Democrats who are at the third place with 57 seats.