US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu expressed the United States Government’s commitment to support Sri Lanka’s on-going anti-corruption initiatives during a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday, December 7.
‘Lu said that the US is prepared to provide financial and technical assistance to strengthen Sri Lanka’s security and economy. He also emphasised the US Government’s willingness to offer technical expertise to help recover the funds that were illegally taken out of the country, as part of Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption program. The discussion highlighted the US Government’s appreciation for the new administration’s prioritisation of key political, economic and social challenges. Lu reaffirmed US support to safeguard Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
President Dissanayake said that Sri Lanka’s political culture influences corruption and waste and added that efforts are under way to resolve these issues by fostering an improved political culture. The President also spoke on the initiatives to uplift rural living standards through improvements to the rural economy and efforts to establish a modern civil service by enhancing the quality of public services.
Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ms. Julie Chung, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia, Ms. Anjali Kaur, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific at the U.S. Department of Treasury, Robert Kaproth, USAID Mission Director Gabriel Grau and Counsellor for Political and Economic Affairs, Ms. Shawn Gray were also present.
