India for genuine political settlement in Sri Lanka

Colombo, Aug 15 (PTI) India Monday voiced support for a
"genuine political settlement" based on national
reconciliation in a post-conflict Sri Lanka that has witnessed
serious ethnic tensions between the minority Tamil and the
dominant Sinhala communities.
In his Indian Independence Day message here, Indian
High Commissioner in Colombo Ashok K Kantha said India has
always been committed to the unity, sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and restoration of lasting
peace through reconciliation.
"It is our hope that the vision and leadership that
resulted in an end to armed conflict will now be employed in
the quest for a genuine political settlement resulting in
national reconciliation among all the communities of Sri
Lanka," he said.
The Indian envoy's comments are a reiteration of the
India-Sri Lanka joint statement issued in June at the end of
Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G L Peiris' visit to New
Delhi.
Pointing out that Sri Lanka has emerged as India's
largest trading partner in South Asia, Kantha said it stands
to gain from the vast strides India has made in the economic
sphere.
He said that Sri Lanka's civil aviation, hospitality,
ports and dockyard sectors have benefitted from renewed Indian
investment backed by the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement.
Kantha said he was happy with the progress on the
southern railway project and several rehabilitation projects
undertaken in the northern capital of Jaffna as he outlined
the Indian assistance programmes towards the rehabilitation
and resettlement of the internally displaced in post war Sri
Lanka.
"India's developmental assistance is entirely based on
the priorities set by the Sri Lankan government," Kantha said.