On 17 March 2005, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar MP, delivered a Special Address at the IISS. He spoke on 'Sri Lanka's Foreign and Security Policy'.
With rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts currently underway in parts of Sri Lanka following the devastation wrought by the tsunami on December 26, 2004, Mr Kadirgamar began his address by thanking the British government and the people for their support and assistance.
The Foreign Minister’s speech focused on the fundamentals of Sri Lanka's foreign relations with the UK, China, Japan and India. It encompassed Sri Lanka’s policy towards international organisations such as the Non-Aligned Movement and regional and sub-regional organisations including the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) and BIMST-EC (Bay of Bengal community). Minister Kadirgamar also focused on the ceasefire and the peace process between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE.
