Before his departure to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Robert O. Blake, Jr., the Assistant Secretary for Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the U.S. State Department, has told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that his country has wider relations with Sri Lanka than the much-talked about United Nations Expert Panel report on Sri Lanka.
"In general we want to move forward on our relations with Sri Lanka. Although everybody is very focused on the Panel of Experts Report, we have wider relations with Sri Lanka than just that. I want to discuss the full range of issues on our agenda," the former Ambassador to Sri Lanka has said in an interview to PTI on Friday (April 29).
When asked what his message to the Sri Lankan government is, the envoy has said that he will keep his message private until he actually delivers it to the Sri Lankan government but he will hold a press conference afterwards.
Blake is expected to travel to the North to observe the development process and meet some of the non-governmental organizations working in the former Tamil Tiger terrorists-controlled areas.
"I'm looking very much forward to having the opportunity to travel up to the north for the first time ever in my career to Kilinochchi and to Mullaitivu which were formerly LTTE-controlled areas when I was there. So I've never actually seen either of those cities. We have quite a lot of U.S. Agency for International Development cooperation going on there, and I'm going to have a chance to not only see some of that but also to meet with some of the NGOs that are active there. I'm very much looking forward to that," Blake has said.
During his second day of the tour to Sri Lanka Blake is expected to hold meetings with senior government officials, civil society leaders and other relevant personnel. The envoy will hold a press conference at the end of his tour.
The Assistant Secretary, who is in Maldives today, is expected to leave Male this evening to Sri Lanka.
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