Minister Peiris is to speak in US foreign policy think tanks

Minister Peiris who left Sri Lanka on the 22nd is scheduled to meet Secretary Clinton on the 28th of May.

The ministry of external affairs said that Prof. Peiris will address leading US foreign policy think tanks during this visit.

This is the first official visit by Prof. Peiris to the US after assuming duties as Minister of External Affairs.

Calls for war crime investigation

His visit is taking place after international advocacy groups renew their call for an investigation into alleged war crimes during the last days of the Sri Lanka's civil war.

The external affairs ministry says that Prof. Peiris is to meet the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and senior UN officials as well as number of senior politicians and officials in the United States during his visit to Washington D.C.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and International Crisis Group reports on Sri Lanka said that there are strong suggestions that both parties in the conflict committed war crimes during the last days of fighting.

Meanwhile, the United States welcomes the Sri Lanka’s initiative to establish a Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation to examine key aspects of the recently ended conflict in Sri Lanka.