Addressing a media briefing in Colombo yesterday, the Minister said that Sri Lanka was heading towards a failed state due to hostile foreign policy of the previous government but now, many countries that did not talk about Sri Lanka in the past are appearing on behalf of it.

The Minister told the media that under the good governance system they succeeded in implementing a virtuous foreign policy and drawing the attention of the international community to the country. He said that the country has won praise of the world under the good governance system.

The government has also been able to defer the report that was to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Minister Karunatilake also stressed that proper and qualified persons for diplomatic missions abroad will be appointed by the government and pointed out that all diplomatic missions were filled up with unsuitable persons under political influence and nepotism.

The Minister further emphasized that a decision has been taken by the government to halt some large scale development projects until they are evaluated. He said that the Indian company that had undertaken the Northern Expressway project has agreed to complete it less than 60 million US dollars than the original amount it had agreed to earlier following the mutual discussion with the government.

Secretary to the Media Ministry Karunaratne Paranavithana also addressed the the media briefing.