Sri Lanka has now entered an era of peace, having overcome the threat of terrorism, and the country now stands undivided under one flag, says President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

“Sri Lanka has now entered an era of peace, having overcome the threat of terrorism, which plagued the country for over three decades.

“Now we stand undivided, under one flag, committed to achieving sustainable economic prosperity, to be shared by all communities,” he said, addressing the state banquet hosted by his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyata at the State House in Nairobi on Friday (13).

Rajapaksa, who is on a four day state visit to Kenya, expressed appreciation to Kenya for the “understanding and unwavering support” extended to Sri Lanka to eliminate the menace of terrorism in the island nation and in overcoming the post conflict challenges.

“This, together with Kenya’s solidarity with Sri Lanka in international fora, is a manifestation of the deep understanding and friendship we share,” he said.

The President stated that Sri Lanka seeks to build a modern, dynamic partnership with Kenya, having identified several areas for focused cooperation.

To this end, we will, during my present visit sign formal agreements and establish the Kenya-Sri Lanka joint commission, graduating our relationship to greater heights, he said.

Rajapaksa stated that he is convinced that there is considerable potential for the expansion of economic relations between the two countries.

“It is for this reason that leading business persons of my country, who are keenly interested in developing partnerships with their Kenyan counterparts, have accompanied me on this visit.”

“My country is now enjoying rapid economic development, with tourism becoming a major growth sector,” he said, adding, that the prevalent stable environment for investment provides many opportunities for the business communities.