by DIRCO
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Representatives from a number of Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora groups attended the meeting during which the Deputy Minister briefed the participants on South Africa’s involvement in Sri Lanka. She also engaged in a discussion and an exchange of views on how the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora could contribute towards the peace and reconciliation process unfolding in Sri Lanka.
South Africa’s engagement in Sri Lanka stems from the request by former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to President Jacob Zuma during the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo in November 2013 and a subsequent invitation from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for South Africa to engage through its Special Envoy and share its experiences in political dialogue, negotiations, reconciliation and nation-building. The same sentiments were also relayed to President Zuma by the leadership of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
Available: http://www.dfa.gov.za/docs/2015/sril0526.htm