Top US official meets PM

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 March 2002, 19:43 GMT]
US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca Friday afternoon held a discussion with Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe at Palaly air force base, where Jaffna District's main army headquarters is situated.

Government sources said that talks between the Prime Minister and the US State Secretary centered on the present peace process.

Meanwhile President Chandrika Kumaratunge declined to meet US State Secretary who arrived Colombo Friday morning. "President Chandrika was unable to meet US official due to her earlier arranged busy schedule," said President's media spokesman Mr.Harim Peiris.

He dismissed some media reports that President's refusal to meet the US official was in defiance of the peace process, as baseless and imaginative.

He added that President Chandrika could not clear her busy schedule to meet every visiting Deputy Minister.

"When we received the request to give an appointment to the meet the US State Secretary, the President's schedule was completely full up," Mr.Harim Peiris, said.