Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Lankan Army capable of providing security to leaders during SAARC Summit

While dismissing the "untrue" reports that a large contingent of Indian security forces would be present in the island nation during the SAARC Summit next month to guard Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sri Lanka said, "Sri Lankan Army, despite the ongoing war with the LTTE, would be able to provide adequate security to leaders during the SAARC Summit".

"It is not true that a big contingent of Indian Army would be coming to Colombo to provide security for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the SAARC summit," Nimal Siripala, a senior Sri Lankan Minister, told Parliament in Colombo Friday, PTI reported here today.

His comments follow reports in newspapers here recently that had claimed that President Mahinda Rajapakse had given approval for a heavy Indian military presence in Sri Lanka during the August 2-3 SAARC Summit.

Siripala, leader of the House and Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition, said it was normal for the heads of state to bring their own security as has been the case with other international conferences, but added that no large contingent of security forces from India would arrive here to provide security to Singh.

The issue first came up on Wednesday when the Marxist JVP party member Bimal Ratnayaka sought to know whether 1,500 Indian soldiers had already come to Sri Lanka to provide security to Singh during the SAARC Summit. At that time, the member was assured that Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake would reply to the question on Friday.

Read more,
http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-17/0807128036171818.htm

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