A bilateral meeting with President Hu Jintao & Spanish Prime Minister
17-18th June 2011
A bilateral meeting took place between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Hu Jintao on 17th June. Speaking at the meeting President Hu who opposed any external interventions in Sri Lanka’s affairs, has stressed that China will always support Sri Lanka to safeguard the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity and maintain the coordination and cooperation with Sri Lanka on regional and international affairs. During the meeting with President Rajapaksa, President Hu Jintao has said that China was pleased to see that, in recent years, Sri Lanka has achieved political stability and rapid economic development. He has also commended the positive progress in the post‐conflict resettlement of civilians.
The Chinese President has said Sri Lanka is a friend and partner of mutual trust. He has observed that in recent years, bilateral ties have kept their momentum and had deepened in the area of exchanges and cooperation in various fields. He has also said that China is willing to join hands with Sri Lanka to consolidate the traditional friendship, expand pragmatic cooperation, sincere mutual support and everlasting friendship and comprehensive cooperation partnership in Sri Lanka to new heights. President Rajapaksa has appreciated the unstinted support and assistance extended by the two countries on regional and international issues affecting the country as well as in the postwar development initiatives.
President Rajapaksa was joined by Minister of External Affairs Prof. G. L. Peiris, Senior Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka Mr. Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Ambassador of Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation Udayanga Weeratunga while President Hu Jintao was joined by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming and the Chinese Ambassador in the Russian Federation Li Hui and other senior officials from China.
Meanwhile President Rajapaksa has met with the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on 18th June on the sidelines of the meeting. At the meeting President Rajapaksa had briefed the Prime Minister Zapatero regarding the development activities and the progress in the resettlement process in Sri Lanka. He has invited Spanish investments in Sri Lanka. While commending on the progress achieved by Sri Lanka since the end of conflict, the Spanish Premier has expressed the need for the United Nations to support Sri Lanka in this process.
The Russian oil and gas company GAZPROM, one of the largest in the world, has agreed to commence oil and gas exploration in the seas off the coast Mannar. They have agreed to send a group of experts for feasibility studies and to find the possibility of using Liquid Natural Gas in Sri Lanka. The Russian company has agreed to set up an oil refinery in Sri Lanka. This was agreed following discussions between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Russian Gas and Oil Company chairman Alexei Miller in St Petersburg. GAZPROM is one of the largest gas companies in the world and supplies gas to a number of countries including 30 European nations with an annual outflow of 500 million cubic meters.
