New Zealand PM backs Sri Lankan reconciliation efforts

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key today assured his support to the Sri Lankan government's reconciliation efforts with the minority Tamil community following the three-decade civil war with the LTTE.
During his talks with President Maithripala Sirisena, Key, who arrived here last night and today began bilateral talks with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, assured New Zealands' support for the ongoing reconciliation efforts, officials said.
Key was accorded a Guard of Honour at the presidential secretariat this morning.
He became the first New Zealand Prime Minister to make an official bilateral visit to the island nation in many decades.

The New Zealand leader, who is being accompanied by a Kiwi trade delegation, had last time visited Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in November 2013.
He is due to address the premier business chamber, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce today. Key will also inaugurate a dairy farming facility and a training centre in the north western region of Pannala.

Sirisena, who came to power last year after ending nearly a decade-long regime of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, has taken several steps to achieve reconciliation with the Tamil minority.
Several confidence-building-measures such as the release of Tamils-owned lands, lifting of travel restrictions to the North and de-escalating the military presence have been taken since January.

Lankas main Tamil political party has accepted the government efforts to ensure reconciliation after three decades of civil war with the LTTE that claimed over 100,000 lives.