Switzerland relaxes travel advise on Sri Lanka

(MENAFN- Leisure Plus) />Switzerland has relaxed a travel advise imposed on Sri Lanka, the Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Hanspeter Mock said.

He said that Switzerland no longer advises to avoid unnecessary travel to Sri Lanka but notes that travelers should maintain a high level of personal security during their stay in the country.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), meanwhile, notes that political and social tensions are still high in Sri Lanka and they can trigger violent clashes at any time and throughout the country.

FDFA says a tense political environment is likely to remain in Sri Lanka till the end of the elections in December 2019.

President Maithripala Sirisena had told diplomats in Colombo this week that the country was now 99% secure. He thanked the international community for the cooperation and assistance provided to Sri Lanka at this time of need and urged them to continue to provide economic assistance and lift the travel advisories issued to tourists.

Addressing Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, United States, Germany, Australia and EU, at the President's Official Residence in Colombo, the President had said that a large number of the terrorists and suspects had been arrested and a huge quantity of explosives and weapons have been seized.

He also thanked the envoys for the intelligence expertise and cooperation provided by those countries.

Last week China relaxed the travel advise imposed on Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday attacks. (Colombo Gazette)

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