These were some of the questions asked to Sagarica Delgoda, Representative of FNSt in Colombo, upon her visit to Berlin and Potsdam in January at the occasion of a multi-party Round Table on "Stopping the Escalation of Conflict in Sri Lanka – New Approaches for a Joint Parliamentary Initiative", organized in the Bundestag. Mrs. Delgoda's first-hand information about the aspects of the conflict and its political, economic and social ramifications were well received by the German Parliamentarians who feel that some reaction to the escalating situation in Sri Lanka is needed also by the German Bundestag.
The liberal German party FDP also took the opportunity to discuss these issues with Mrs. Delgoda who was invited to address the Committee on Foreign and Security Affairs of the Party's Parliamentary Group, headed by its Foreign Policy Spokesman Dr. Werner Hoyer. The topic of her address was "Sri Lanka's Dilemma". Last but not least, Mrs. Delgoda informed the Department of International Cooperation of FNSt and CEO Rolf Berndt about the perspectives of FNSt's work in the country. Our projects are very much "on the screen" in the Headquarters of the Foundation, and it was decided to maintain, and if possible to intensify, our engagement for a liberal development in the country.
Separate meetings were held with Harald Leibrecht (FDP), Member of the Foreign Committee, Dr. Christian Wagner, South Asia Specialist at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, and Mr. Kanera, Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Prof. Oesterheld, Head of the South Asia Institute at Humboldt University, invited Mrs. Delgoda for an interaction with his students at the university. A special highlight was the opportunity to be present at Count Lambsdorff's Birthday Reception where she got encouragement from the former Chairman of FNSt and met other dignitaries from German politics, especially from the liberal circles, including Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt and Dr. Guido Westerwelle, Leader of the FDP.
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