Foreign Minister McCully has welcomed the peaceful transition of power in Sri Lanka over the weekend, and congratulates Sri Lanka's new President Maithripala Sirisena on his victory in Thursday's Presidential election.

'Over twelve million Sri Lankans cast their votes in a peaceful and orderly election on 8 January," McCully says.

'The election saw strong voter turnout and a clear result, which was respected by all sides. New Zealand congratulates the people of Sri Lanka for demonstrating their commitment to peace and stability.

'We commend President Rajapaksa for facilitating a swift and orderly transfer of power. "New Zealand and Sri Lanka have a close relationship, built on people-to-people links, dairy co-operation, and our shared love of cricket.

'We look forward to working with President Sirisena on these issues and continuing to engage with Sri Lanka as the country moves towards reconciliation following the decades-long civil war.

'New Zealand encourages President Sirisena to continue making progress in this area and the devolution of power to Tamil communities in the North of the country," Mr McCully says.