Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris last week assured Elizabeth Truss, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs that normalcy was returning with modest tourist arrivals and other business picking up.

He said about 82% of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated and apparel industry which remained resilient even during the height of the pandemic was able to shift to produce other items such as Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs).

He described the Sri Lanka-UK bilateral relationship is very strong, and the two countries have a lot in common with a solid foundation to build on. Sri Lanka is an example of a robust and time-tested democratic tradition, he said with Lankans enjoying universal adult franchise 17 years before gaining independence, when it was still the Colony of Ceylon.

 Referring to the investments successive Sri Lankan Governments have made for human resource development such as provision of free healthcare and free education up to university level, Minister Prof Peiris stated that some of the products of Sri Lankan free education system are contributing to the UK’s economy.

British influence is visible in every aspect of Sri Lanka’s life be it politics, trade, finance, legal and education. The names of major Sri Lankan companies indicate their origins and have been set up by British businessmen.

Referring to the Free Trade Agreements Sri Lanka has signed with India and Pakistan, he stated that such agreements provide an opportunity to British companies and act as a conduit to manufacture in Sri Lanka for export to these markets, a Colombo foreign office news release said.

 He also told Truss that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has encouraged him to engage in a dialogue with the diaspora and the Government is also reaching out to the Tamil National Alliance. The Government has also commenced an engagement with civil society organisations and has released some suspects held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

It is revisiting the PTA to make changes which are not cosmetic but substantial, Also offices such as Office of Missing Persons, Office for Reparations and Office for National Unity and Reconciliation are engaged in useful work.

Foreign Secretary Truss reciprocated the sentiments expressed by Peiris and stated that she was fortunate to have visited Sri Lanka and the two countries need to engage more on investments. She added that the UK is developing a broader investment portfolio which Sri Lanka could be a part of.