Norway is criticized by Sri Lanka after Foreign Minister Jan Petersen
failed to include Sri Lanka in his visit to the Southeast Asian disaster area
over the past several days, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported on Tuesday.
The critics pointed out that Norway is very important in the peace process in
Sri Lanka, and said that it is therefore very unfortunate that Norwegian
authorities have not shown up in the island nation.
"It is strange that the Norwegian Foreign Minister traveled to Bangkok and
Djakarta, and passed by Colombo. Petersen should have come immediately," said
Lalid Ala Kohn, Editor of the Daily Mirror, one of the largest newspaper in Sri
Lanka's capital Colombo.
The leader of the organization Foundation for Coexistence, Dr Kumar
Rupasinghe, said the Norwegian Prime Minister himself ought to have come,
considering the close ties between Norway and Sri Lanka.
Foreign Minister Jan Petersen said he had a strong desire to visit Sri Lanka
as well.
"But judging the situation at the beginning of last week, the work of
distributing emergency aid supplies was so extensive, that to include an
official ministerial visit would have bound up needed capacity. I did not think
this was justifiable considering those who were hit by the tidal wave," Petersen
told the NRK.
He said he plans to visit Sri Lanka as soon as at all possible.
