Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa seeks cooperation from Tamil leaders to 'rebuild the country'

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday sought cooperation from Tamil leaders to 'rebuild the country.'

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday sought cooperation from the Tamil leaders to "rebuild the country" during a meeting with the main Tamil party here for the first time since assuming office over two years ago.

"Let’s work together to rebuild the country," President Rajapaksa told the leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) who called on him at the Presidential Secretariat here.

The President assured the TNA leaders that as the leader of the entire nation, he will focus on all communities equally, according to the President's Media Division.

He further said that the government is working on a number of issues, including the release of suspects held in long-term detention, taking further actions regarding suspects who have not been charged or prosecuted, the launch of a truth-finding mechanism, the amendment of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the resolving of issues related to missing persons, it added.

During more than two-hour long talks, the President pointed out that by continuing to work together, the objectives of the entire people of the country, including the North and the East, can be achieved and the country can move towards development.

"Attention was paid to further steps to be taken with regard to those who are held in long-term detention, release of lands that have been previously used for cultivation, investigation of missing persons, discussion of amendments to the new Constitution after translating into Tamil and Sinhala, and the establishment of a North-East Development Fund," the president's office said.

TNA Leader R Sampanthan said that he hopes to see the country moving towards prosperity with a political solution in a united Sri Lanka.