Sri Lanka President meets top US diplomat Donald Lu

COLOMBO: Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu on Saturday met with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayake and pledged the support of the US for all anti-corruption efforts.

Lu arrived in Sri Lanka on December 5 and is part of a delegation that includes senior US officials like USAID's Anjali Kaur and Treasury's Robert Kaproth, according to the US State Department.

"We discussed the US' support for Sri Lanka's anti-corruption efforts, recovery of stolen funds, and strengthening our economy and sovereignty," Dissanayake said in a post on X after the two met on Saturday at the Presidential Secretariat.

“I emphasised fostering a transparent political culture, uplifting rural living standards, and modernising public services.”

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, posting on X said that the "US delegation from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, USAID and US Treasury congratulated President Anura Kumara Disanayake and his new administration today and discussed strengthening cooperation on governance, agriculture, economic growth, and maritime security."

She added that "the US reaffirmed their support for Sri Lanka's reform agenda, including anti-corruption, and highlighted the importance of engaging civil society & the private sector."

Lu, the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, is currently in Colombo as part of his tri-nation visit to India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

On Friday, Lu met Sri Lankan leaders, including Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and explored support to the island nation's economic reform agenda through tailored technical assistance.

He also met Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena.

Lu became the highest-ranking US official to meet Dissanayake after his recent electoral successes.

The Sri Lankan President's office in a release said the US expressed willingness to offer technical support to recover Sri Lanka's stolen assets.

During the election campaign, Dissanayake pledged action to recover the island's assets lost to the corrupt politicians from the ruling elites who had ruled the country for over 75 years.

The US embassy in Colombo said his visit was meant to advance US-Sri Lankan joint efforts to promote sustainable economic growth, combat corruption, and strengthen people-to-people ties