US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Sri Lanka next month to express support to the new government's vision for a more peaceful and stable nation, making him the first top American diplomat to visit the country since 2004.
Kerry's maiden visit to Colombo on May 2, observers feel, comes as a big diplomatic win for the new Sri Lankan government, which has promised the international community to look into their concerns on human rights issues and integration of the ethnic minority communities in the country.
"In Colombo, he will meet government leaders, civil society members, and other representatives from the country's diverse communities to hear and express US support for their vision for a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous future for its people," the State Department Acting Spokesperson, Marie Harf, said.
Kerry will also join his hosts for the celebration of the Buddhist holiday of Vesak, she said.
The visit comes following years of strained relations between the US and Sri Lanka's previous government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa.
His successor Maithripala Sirisena took power after defeating Rajapaksa in January elections.
Rajapaksa had faced criticism from the West for refusing to cooperate with a probe into alleged war crimes committed during a crackdown on the LLTE.
Sri Lanka under Rajapaksa was subjected to three consecutive US-backed UN Human Rights Council resolutions, the last of which mandated an international inquiry on alleged rights abuses committed by both government troops and the LTTE.
