By DPA,
Colombo : Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa Sunday condemned terrorist attacks in Indian cities of Bangalore and Ahmedabad, and said the two governments remain firm in their commitment to jointly fight terrorism in South Asia.
Sri Lanka, being a country gravely affected by the scourge of terrorism for more than two decades, “understands well how the manipulators of terror seek to destroy the harmonious relations among communities and the democratic traditions that prevail in our societies,” Rajapaksa said.
“My government and I share the determination and commitment of the government and people of India not to yield to this sustained threat of terror from those who seek to achieve their ends by inflicting maximum damage to the lives and limbs of civilians, disrupting their day-to-day lives and society at large,” he continued.
The statement came as the official opening of the eight-nation South Asian summit took place in Colombo under tight security.
The heads of states of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will arrive for the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) meeting in Colombo Aug 2-3.
A series of official and foreign ministers meetings are to take place before the heads of state meeting.