8th August 2017: Sri Lanka has sought to firmly lay to rest India’s concerns over China developing a port at Hambantota by declaring that the deal is “purely commercial”. “There is no question of allowing any Chinese Navy operations at the Sri Lanka port,” said Mano Ganesan, Sri Lanka Minister for co-existence, Dialogue, and Official Languages. “Chinese Navy cannot enter any place without the explicit permission of Sri Lanka government,” Ganesan said inaugurating the Public Relations Council of Sri Lanka under the aegis of World Communicators Council (WCC).
Sri Lanka is striking a balance with its relationships with India and China, he said and assured that his government would not do anything that might jeopardize its ties with its big neighbor. “Both the countries are important to us,” he said, according to PRCI. Ganesan welcomed the idea of the Sri Lanka PR Council started with the support of Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) which is also part of the WCC. He expressed the confidence that communications profession would go a long way with the cooperation between the councils of the two countries.
Referring to the internal war that Sri Lanka fought for four decades, Ganesan expressed the confidence that the new constitution which is in the making will ensure “real time peace”. He assured that the Sri Lanka government will not allow any form terrorism in the country.
“We are a multi-ethnic nation with Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity co-existing in peace,” he said.
