Sri Lanka    


When in 1993/4 the British High Commissioner was expelled from Sri Lanka, Nirj Deva worked successfully to prevent the expulsion of the Sri Lanka High Commissioner from London, and to restore normal diplomatic relations.

He has kept constantly in touch with Sri Lanka and has a good working relationship with the Sri Lanka Ambassador in Brussels, helping to secure an ever improving relationship between Sri Lanka and the European Union.

Nirj Deva has assisted in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of that war torn country, by facilitating visits to Brussels by the former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirigama, the Minister for Economic Reforms, Milinda Moragoda, Trade Minister Ravi Karunanayake, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and most recently the Investment & Tourism Minister, Anura Bandaranaike, for detailed discussions with the Development Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, meetings with Commissioners Prodi, Patten Lamy and Nielson and with the President of the Parliament Pat Cox, MEP, and Hans-Gert Pottering MEP, the Leader of the European People's Party and European Democrat Party.

Nirj Deva invited to the European Parliament the Norwegian peace facilitator, Eric Solheim, who is working to end the civil war which has claimed more than 65,000 lives.

Following the Tsunami disaster in December 2004 Nirj Deva worked hard as the ranking member of the European Parliament’s Development Committee to get the maximum commitment of disaster relief and development aid in the shortest period of time.

Click here to read an article written about Nirj's life from a Sri Lankan newspaper
With the then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka discussing a peace concert in Colombo with Sir Richard Branson and Miss Sharmini Tiruchelvam, once described at the world's most beautiful woman and painted by Annigoni, Picasso, and other famous artists.
 



With Mahinda Rajapaksa,
President of the Republic of Sri Lanka
With Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament
and Milinda Moragoda, Former Minister for Economic Reforms in Sri Lanka discussing the peace process
Françoise Grossetête MEP, Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Hans-Gert Poettering MEP on the occasion of the official visit of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to the European Parliament to discuss the peace process taking place in Sri Lanka after twenty years of civil war which claimed 65,000 lives.

The Development Committee of which Nirj is the Conservative spokesman is anxious to assist in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of that war torn country.


Nirj receiving the award of "Vishwa Keerthi Sri Lanka
Abhimani," from the Buddhist clergy in recognition of his
services to Sri Lanka
Buddhist JHU Party
Leader Backs Deva

The parliamentary leader of the Buddhist JHU Party in Sri Lanka,  Athuraliye Ratana Thera, has backed Niranjan Deva-Aditya for UN Secretary-General.

The JHU is in an influential position in Sri Lanka, as the President and Government rely on its support.

He was asked in an interview published in THE NATION newspaper on 13th August 2006, whether the Sri Lanka Government should now nominate Deva in view of the failure of Sri Lanka's current candidate, Jayantha Dhanapala, to secure the necessary support from the UN Security Council in the July 25 vote.

Ratana replied "Jayantha Dhanapala has come last in the Security Council vote. Also his age (67) is against him. Niranjan Deva-Aditya has a better chance of going through. He is a good patriot, and if the necessity arises the government should support him."