Armitage outlines Lanka’s HRC resolution input

Former United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage yesterday called on President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat.Armitage, who was the second-in-command at the State Department from 2001 to 2005, now heads Armitage International, L.C., a firm that provides multinational clients with critical support in the areas of international business development, strategic planning and problem-solving.Armitage, currently visiting the island, chaired an interactive luncheon organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Sri Lanka on Tuesday to discuss the current economic climate in the country.

Former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage looked to clarify the level of input Sri Lanka would have on the resolution to be tabled by the US at the UN Human Rights Council, after the United States last week said it would work together with Sri Lanka to propose the resolution.

“To say you’d be involved in the drafting would not be quite right, but to say that you were uninformed and lacking the ability to have input would not be right either. So I think it’s going to kind of half way between,” said Armitage, who admittedly was not “totally informed about” the situation.

Armitage, however, was sure to make it clear that “a consensual resolution would in no way relieve Sri Lanka from the responsibilities on accountability.” (MB)