Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament that legal clearance was facilitated to UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa to go abroad by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's intervention, after he was stopped at Katunayake Bandaranayake International Airport this morning.

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Weerawansa arrived at the airport to board a flight for Rome, Italy. However, he was stopped due to an issue with his passport and questioned by the CID.

He was to visit Europe for a lecture series.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today said that the investigations on Avant-Garde floating armories are still underway.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has acknowledged that there are “no definite figures” regarding the final estimate of casualties in the last stage of the Eelam War, which concluded in May 2009.

“No one knows. Even the Human Rights Commission couldn’t say,” Wickremesinghe told The Straits Times of Singapore on the issue during his visit to the south-east Asian country late last week.

He also hinted that the tally “could be less than 40,000,” the figure originally mentioned in a report of the UN Secretary General’s Panel of Experts in March 2011.

A report of the Secretary General’s Internal Review Panel on UN Action in Sri Lanka in November 2012 stated, citing “some government sources,” that the number was “well below some 10,000.” The document added that “Other sources have referred to credible information indicating that over 70,000 people are unaccounted for.” However, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, constituted by the Sri Lankan government, in its report of November 2011, concluded that “it is not possible to establish a verified figure given the difficult circumstances of the situation.” Asked about his priorities, Wickremesinghe told the paper that national reconciliation was “the first priority.”

The re-establishment of democratic institutions, which “had got weakened and were malfunctioning under [former President Mahinda] Rajapaksa” was the next. On the matter of participation of foreign judges in the proposed judicial mechanism to go into allegations of human rights violations, the Prime Minister said the issue was the manner in which such judges could take part. It was “not a question of their participating; they have already participated. The question is, whether as an adviser or a judge.” he said, adding that foreign judges had earlier taken part in Sri Lanka’s two commissions of inquiry as members of advisory panels.

As for his country’s ties with India, he said his country had an agreement with India that “neither nation will do anything to harm the security interests of the other country.”

“Subject to that, we carry on with our work.” His country was for India's entry into the UN Security Council.

As for China, he said “we have no military relationship but we have a strong economic relationship.” There were some problems on infrastructure projects. “[But] that's a bilateral issue between Sri Lanka and China. It doesn't involve India,” he clarified.

On the issue of Chinese submarines docking at Colombo port last year when Rajapaksa was in power, he replied that the problem about the visit was that “India claims it was not informed. So far, from what we found out, that seems to be correct.” He also said “not only India, but the Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was in Colombo when it happened.”

Pointing out that his country put out the criteria for visits by naval ships, he said “ships including submarines from all countries can visit Sri Lanka. As far as we are concerned, if it is a friendly visit we will inform the neighbouring countries and we will spread out the [frequency of the] visits.”

(The Hindu)

Singapore will handle the revised master plan for Sri Lanka's Megapolis plan, The Straits Times said quoting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He also said that Sri Lanka wants another master plan for Trincomalee to be prepared by Singapore.

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"Singapore's Cesma did the planning in 2004, but it was not followed up by President Rajapaksa," Wickremesinghe said, referring to the former Housing and Development Board subsidiary which later morphed into Surbana Jurong. "Now, we have got them to revise the plan. It will be available by the end of the year. We also want them to do the master plan for Trincomalee."

Megapolis is an ambitious plan to develop the country's Western Province, into a massive urban agglomeration.

Sri Lanka's Western Province accounts for nearly half of the nation's economy, with the other eight provinces accounting for the rest. Colombo's vision is to build a regional business and financial hub, complete with high-rise developments, recreational areas and shopping districts.

It also wants to develop the region around Trincomalee, a port city and headquarters of the Eastern Province that draws its attractiveness from the circular and deep natural harbour.

Indian and Japanese companies have shown keen interest in investing around the strategic port city, where both are putting up thermal power units. Colombo, it would appear, would like Singapore to do for the Western Province and Trincomalee what it is doing in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is helping in the design and construction of a new capital. Trincomalee also has immense tourism potential, The Straits Times pointed out.

S. Chandra Das, Singapore's Non-Resident High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, said: "The Sri Lankans are in contact with Surbana Jurong to work with their relevant authority to do the planning for Western Province and Trincomalee.

"We leave it to the individual companies here to decide what role they have to take."

Mr Wickremesinghe said Colombo would also seek to open Free Trade Agreement talks with Singapore after upgrading an FTA with India into a comprehensive trade and technological partnership, as well as concluding an FTA with China.

"The sequencing of the FTAs is because we have limited staff to negotiate," he said.

(With inputs from The Straits Times)

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong yesterday (16) during his trip to the South East Asian nation. The Sri Lankan delegation also met with several key Ministers of Singapore. Economic cooperation was one of the key areas reportedly discussed.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe left the island on a two day official visit to Singapore today.

He left on board flight UL 308, which left the island at 12.05pm.

Wickremesinghe is expected to meet his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and other senior ministers in Singapore.

The Prime Minister expects to hold talks on economic collaboration and seeking support for Sri Lanka's development.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will deliver a special statement in early November, outlining the government's policy, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

He is expected to explain the government's policy for the next five years.

Accordingly, Wickremesinghe's statement is expected before the budget is presented to the Parliament on November 20.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe returned to the island early this morning, concluding an official visit to Japan.

The Sri Lanka delegation arrived in the island on board Flight EK-349, which arrived at Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport at 1.30am.

Wickremesinghe met with the Japanese Emperor, Prime Minister and other high officials in Japan during his trip. He was also given the rare opportunity of addressing the Japanese MPs in a special event.

The Prime Minister also met with the Sri Lankan community in Japan during his trip.

The Prime Ministers of Japan and Sri Lanka agreed to strengthen cooperation on maintaining maritime security in the Indian Ocean during their official talks in Tokyo.

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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe in Tokyo on Tuesday.

The leaders pledged to cooperate to ensure the safety of sea lanes in the Indian Ocean.

Japan has been apprehensive of China's increasing maritime activities in the region.

The two Prime Ministers also agreed to hold working-level talks by the year-end to discuss maritime security and anti-pollution measures.

Abe said he wants to build on the historic friendship between the two nations to create a comprehensive partnership.

Interestingly, his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, was the first Japanese prime minister to visit Sri Lanka after the Second World War.

Abe also pledged Japan's active cooperation for Sri Lanka's nation-building by helping to promote investment and improve infrastructure.

The pledge was made in connection with President Maithripala Sirisena's step to move away from the former government's pro-China diplomacy after he took office in January.

Wickremesinghe welcomed Abe's offer and said his country needs the bilateral partnership to cope with the many challenges it faces.

(With inputs from NHK)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday pledged ¥45 billion in loans to expand Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport.

After meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at his office in Tokyo, Abe said the two leaders agreed to upgrade the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership covering a wide range of areas, including politics, security and economics.

“To support its economy, we will further work together with Sri Lanka in three fields: promoting investment, cooperating on a national development plan, and national reconciliation and peace-building” under the enhanced partnership, Abe said.

The fresh yen loans will go toward expansion of Bandaranaike International Airport in Negombo a suburb north of Colombo.

Wickremesinghe welcomed the new partnership, saying “the discussions and agreement of a comprehensive collaboration brings us a step closer in the relationship between our two countries.”

According to a joint declaration on the bilateral comprehensive partnership, Wickremesinghe noted that the Sri Lankan government will create a more favorable investment environment, urging Japanese firms to invest in the country.

Sri Lanka has been working on national reconciliation and peace-building after the civil war that lasted from 1983 to 2009.

The island nation with a population of some 20.67 million has posted high economic growth after the war, experiencing 7.4 percent growth in GDP last year and 7.2 percent in 2013.

In light of the steady growth in Sri Lanka, the two leaders agreed to hold an economic policy dialogue at the senior official level in the first half of next year to come up with measures to enhance business cooperation, the joint declaration said.

To support national development in Sri Lanka, Abe and Wickremesinghe decided to launch a framework titled the “Consultation on National Development Cooperation.”

Abe praised bilateral efforts on the maritime security front, including port calls by Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels and an ongoing study on Japan providing Sri Lanka with patrol boats.

“As island nations, we know the value of security and peaceful coexistence and the importance that we are guided by international principles as far as the law of the seas are concerned,” Wickremesinghe said.

Wickremesinghe was appointed prime minister in January by President Maithripala Sirisena. After a parliamentary election in August, he was reappointed to the post in a newly formed national unity government.

Wickremesinghe has previously served as prime minister from 1993 to 1994 and 2001 to 2004.

Making his eighth visit to Japan, Wickremesinghe wraps up his five-day stay Wednesday.

(Japan Times)