Retracting its earlier claim that a high-level “Indo-Lanka committee of high officials on defence related matters has been established”, Sri Lanka on Sunday announced that “no such decision” was taken when top-ranking government officials on both sides met in New Delhi last week.
The President’s office quoting diplomatic sources said in a statement on Thursday that the committee was the direct outcome of the discussions by a high-level Sri Lankan delegation, comprising Presidential Secretary, Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Secretary Gothabhaya Rajapaksa and Senior Advisor to the President Basil Rajapaksa with the Indian counterparts in Delhi on September 3 and 4.
However, the same website on Sunday apologised for the incorrect report.
“The PRIU (Policy Research and Information Unit of the President’s Office) is informed that there was no decision among those who participated in these discussions to establish an Indo-Lanka High Level Committee on defence as stated in our report, which was based on an incorrect interpretation of information on this matter,” the PRIU said.
“The PRIU regrets this error and apologises to the members of the Sri Lanka delegation and the Indian officials they had discussions with,” it said.