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US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday to show support for the new government's efforts to undertake political reforms and tackle the country's 30-year legacy of civil war.
The first secretary of state to visit the nation in a decade, Kerry is set to meet President Maithripala Sirisena and the leader of the Tamil National Alliance, Rajavarothiyam Sampanthan. He will also meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Kerry's 24-hour swing through in Sri Lanka, part of a trip that will include stops in Africa, comes as Sirisena is coming under fire for lack of progress in his attempts to enact sweeping reforms after winning elections in January.
Kerry will stress the importance of expanding the space for democracy, human rights, civil society groups and for religious minorities.
