AMBASSADOR DEVINDA SUBASINGHE DISCUSSES CURRENT
TRENDS IN SRI LANKA AND ACADEMIC COLLABORATION DURING VISITS
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AND CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
During a recent visit to the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania,
on an invitation to deliver a speech on "The Current Trends
in Sri Lanka", Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the US Devinda R
Subasinghe addressed a wide gathering of academics, students and
members of the Sri Lankan Community. In the context of Sri Lanka's
increasing importance in South Asia and increasing US interest
in Sri Lanka, Ambassador Subasinghe proposed that Sri Lankan studies
become an integral part of the University curriculum in the Asia
Studies program at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
Ambassador Subasinghe referred to the commitment of the University's
Asian studies program to foster a better understanding of the
East, South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific and also expressed
the wish to facilitate educational, social and cultural exchanges
between the students of Sri Lanka and the University of Pittsburgh.
In his speech, Ambassador Subasinghe also summed up the positive
trends in Sri Lanka in the political, economic, legal, democratic
and tourism realms. Observing that the economy of Sri Lanka had
been ravaged by two decades of ethnic conflict, Ambassador Subasinghe
referred to the country's commitment to achieve a lasting peace
through political dialogue and economic reconstruction and stated
that together with the assistance of the governments of Norway,
United States, India and Japan the country had achieved "a
major breakthrough in securing the peace" by embarking on
peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Referring to the positive relationship between the United States
and Sri Lanka, Ambassador Subasinghe commented on the recently
concluded Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) signed
in July 2002 and the important economic, trade and investment
ties between the two countries. He observed that the United States
is Sri Lanka's biggest trade partner and comprises one of Sri
Lanka's main export markets with exports in the year 2002 amounting
to US $1,810 million and imports from the United States totaling
US $ 171.9 million. He also commented on the economic reform and
economic development efforts to move the economy to a path of
sustained high growth and the Sri Lanka government's "Regaining
Sri Lanka" program of economic recovery and development that
includes increasing economic growth and reducing conflict-related
rural poverty, strengthening rural infrastructure and improving
quality education and health services, in order to make the country
"a transport, logistics and financial hub for the Indian
Sub-continent".
The Ambassador met Dr. James V. Maher, Provost, Senior Vice Chancellor
and Dr. Vijai Singh, Vice Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh
as well as Dr Christina Gabriel, Vice Provost of the Carnegie
Mellon University where the possibility of conducting programs
in Sri Lanka on education and Information Communication Technology
as well as technical collaboration on the e-Sri Lanka program
with the Carnegie Mellon University were discussed. Ambassador
Subasinghe and Mrs Subasinghe also participated in the annual
Sinhala Tamil New Year dinner hosted by the Sri Lankan community
at the University of Pittsburgh.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Washington DC
USA
08 May 2003
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