India's help during LTTE war reduced world pressure: Sri Lanka

T V Sriram
Colombo, Nov 16 (PTI) Terming India its "closest
ally", Sri Lanka has said its support during the war with the
LTTE helped "reduce the pressure" mounted by the world
community and allowed it to proceed with humanitarian
operations in the war-ravaged north unhindered.

"The relationship developed over the past four years
with our closest ally, India helped us in many ways in our war
against terrorism," the powerful Defence Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa said.
India's support greatly helped "reduce the pressure
mounted by other nations," which allowed us to proceed with
our humanitarian operations unhindered, Rajapaksa the brother
of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said here Sunday.
"It is very important that we strengthen this key
relationship even further in the years to come," he said while
speaking at a function here.
Persuading western countries that they must help Sri
Lanka more meaningfully to combat this threat requires us to
unite as a nation and speak with one voice, instead of being
weakened and divided by petty considerations, he said.
He said significant support was also received from
other key allies that helped withstand the pressure being
"directed by the international community to leave the war
unfinished."
"These countries also provided us vital material
assistance towards the war effort, when barriers were put in
place that prevented our obtaining military hardware from our
western allies," Rajapaksa said in his address. (MORE) PTI TVS
RDM


The information contained in this electronic message and any attachments to this
message are intended for the exclusive
use of the addressee(s) and may contain proprietary, confidential or privileged
information. If you are not the intended
recipient, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please
notify the sender immediately and destroy
all copies of this message and any attachments contained in it.