Secretary-General shocked, saddened by killing of sri lanka’s foreign minister

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General is shocked and saddened to learn that a few hours ago, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was shot and killed in Colombo.  He deplores in the strongest of terms this criminal and senseless act and hopes that the perpetrators will be found and brought to justice.  He expresses his condolences to the family of the deceased and his sympathy with all Sri Lankans in this hour of sorrow.

Sri Lanka has lost a deeply respected statesman dedicated to peace and national unity.  The Secretary-General hopes that this tragedy will not weaken the commitment of the people of Sri Lanka to achieve a durable peace in the country.

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