Four US Government officials to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 January 2012, 19:00 GMT]
Four US Government officials from US Department of Defense, US Department of Commerce, US Department of State will undertake partially over-lapping visits to Sri Lanka and Maldives between 15th and 26th of January, a press release from the Embassy of the United States to Sri Lanka and Maldives said. Two officials are visiting only Sri Lanka. according to the itinerary. The US officials are expected to meet Government officials, civil society leaders, business leaders and political leaders, the release further said.

Full text of the press release follows:

U.S. Government Officials to Visit Sri Lanka
January 12, 2012

Over the next two weeks the U.S. Embassy to Sri Lanka and Maldives will host four U.S. government visitors who will meet with government officials, civil society representatives, business leaders and political leaders.

Ambassador James A. Larocco from the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University will visit Sri Lanka and Maldives from January 15-19, 2012. Ambassador Larocco joined the Center in August 2009, after serving more than 35 years as a diplomat.

Ms. Holly Vineyard, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia at the U.S. Department of Commerce will visit Sri Lanka January 17-19, 2012. Ms. Vineyard directs the Department's regional activities on market access, trade, commerce and compliance with international trade agreements.

Dr. Alyssa Ayres, Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia at the U.S. Department of State will visit Sri Lanka and Maldives January 18-24, 2012. Dr. Ayres assumed her position in August 2010 and her portfolio includes India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Maldives.

Mr. Thomas O. Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State will visit Sri Lanka January 20-26, 2012. Mr. Melia joined the State Department in August 2011 after more than 25 years of experience in promotion of democracy and human rights.