Sri Lanka disowns media speculation on relations with US

Sri Lanka today dismissed reports of America's purported softening of its stance towards the country and said these were mere "media speculation."
The government was responding to a comment by the State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki who denied any softening of the US policy on Sri Lanka.
Since 2012, the US has moved three consecutive resolutions against the country at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva over its alleged human rights abuses during the final days of civil war against the LTTE in 2009.
"In this context, the Ministry of External Affairs wishes to clarify that the Government of Sri Lanka did not issue a press statement or comment on the meeting which took place between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the US Secretary of State John Kerry on the margins of UN General Assembly sessions," it said in a statement.

"Any reference in the media to the contents of this discussion are of a speculative nature and does not in any way reflect the view of the Government of Sri Lanka," it said.
The statement, however, added that Sri Lankan government "appreciates this meeting having taken place, as a dialogue has now begun at high level, which befits the importance attached to this bilateral relationship and for its further strengthening."
Earlier, Psaki replied "absolutely not" to the question if the US stand on Sri Lanka on its human rights accountability had lessened.
UNHRC has begun an international probe into alleged rights abuses blamed on both the government troops and the Liberation Tiger of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) during the final phase of the conflict which ended in 2009.