Colombo: Japan has told Sri Lanka that it has no plans to suspend development aid to the island nation as reported in the international media. Japan's special envoy Yasushi Akashi told Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona over the phone Friday that his country had not changed its aid policy vis-୶is Sri Lanka and it would stick to the commitments it had made.
Akashi said that Japan welcomed the proposals made by the Sri Lankan all party panel on devolution of power and commended President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the ethnic conflict. The international media had reported from Tokyo Thursday that Akashi had warned that Japan would cut off aid to Sri Lanka if the latter continued with its military operations against the Tamil Tiger rebels. Meanwhile, Road Development Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was sworn in as acting foreign minister by Rajapaksa.
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama is on an official visit to Pakistan. The website of Daily Mirror reported that Bogollagama was to come back to Colombo Saturday but was rushing back Friday night itself, anticipating "major" changes in the foreign ministry.
