Special envoy of the Government of Japan Yasushi Akashi said the rule of law and governance is much to be desired in Sri Lanka and urged legislators to avoid polarising into naive cosmopolitanism on one hand and extreme nationalism on the other.

Akashi said Sri Lanka was on the brink of making a quantum leap in developing its economy now that the war is over and has huge potential in this regard.

"Sri Lanka is one of the oldest democracies in Asia and boasts high human development indicators (such as literacy, infant mortality and other health indicators). But the rule of law and good governance is to be desired and all Sri Lanka should work on it," he said addressing the inaugural session of the Sri Lanka Economic Summit in Colombo last evening.

The Japanese envoy stressed that Sri Lanka now had an opportunity, which would not reoccur again, to develop the country.

"Now is the time to build the country where every citizen can finally live together in friendship, in a democracy where human rights are respected. If we fail in this regard, we may never get this opportunity again," Akashi said.

Akashi also stressed the importance taking an open minded approach to dealing with those with opposing views.

"There has to be open mindedness when different opinions are being expressed in equal passion, avoiding naive cosmopolitanism on one side and extreme nationalism on the other," he said.

Akashi said that Sri Lanka could no longer blame its former colonial masters and there concept of ‘divide and role’ for the problems the country had to face; not after more than sixty years of self rule.

"There have been marriages and business transactions that have taken place between the different communities. This is the base from which Sri Lanka can build a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual harmonious society," he said.

He also said that blame could not be placed on the Norwegians and their dealings as mediators for a peace deal.

"The responsibility lay with leaders of both sides to the conflict," Akashi said.

He said the Tamil people were made to suffer because Prabahkaran lacked the strategic wisdom and was incapable of thinking beyond a separate state.

Akashi praised the government on the other hand in its efforts to resettle the internally displayed persons.

"In all my years of experience I have never seen a developed country coming out of a conflict make so much progress within a short time. Government officials and the military worked tirelessly day and night led and coordinated very ably by Basil Rajapaksa to ensure these civilians received shelter, food, clothing and medicines," he said.

Akashi said Japan would continue to support Sri Lanka in all her endeavours and will make special provisions with regard to the resettlement of the IDPs.