Harsha meets Robert Blake

As a part of the 2011 Eisenhower Fellowship UNP MP and economist Dr. Harsha de Silva today met with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert O. Blake at the State Department in Washington DC. Associated with the meeting was Dr. Alyssa Ayers, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the South and Central Asia Bureau.

Current state of affairs in Sri Lanka figured in the discussions and the UNP Member of Parliament expressed that his party would make an official statement on the report of the advisory panel to the UN Secretary General upon careful study of the yet to be released document. He mentioned that the opposition was willing to work with the Government to formulate national responses to the plethora of issues facing the country if the Government was willing to take in to confidence the opposition and work towards solutions that include all Sri Lankans. In subsequent meetings with Robert Manogue, Director of Bilateral Trade Affairs and Thomas Engle, Director of the Office of Monetary Affairs of the State Department the MP urged for greater US Sri Lanka trade and investment ties within the existing constraints.