In a major snub, Sri Lanka barred Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt from entering the island setting of a diplomatic row and sharp exchanges between Colombo and Stockholm.
Bidlt, who was to travel to Sri Lanka along with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, to press for growing international demand to allow UN and international aid organisations full access to country’s northern war zone.
And in an immediate retaliation, Sweden recalled its ambassador to Stockholm for consultation. The Sri Lankan authorities have told me they do not accept me, Bildt, who was attending European Union meeting in Luxemburg, said. He said such actions were not good for bilateral relations.
However, according to Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry sources, the Swedish Minister had not been refused visa but had been told that he could come at a mutually convenient date later. The row comes a day after the UN humanitarian chief John Holmes request for greater humanitarian access was turned down, despite reports of deprivation and sufferings among over 110,000 Tamil war displaced persons.