Manila, Jan 19 (IANS) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena lauded on Saturday the anti-drug campaign of the Philippines President, saying the world needs to respect the Rodrigo Duterte government's war on drugs.

During a visit to the main headquarters of the Philippines National Police (PNP), Sirisena said that he admired the Duterte administration's "bold commitment to address the drug menace", Xinhua news agency reported.

The Sri Lankan government would focus on the distribution hub of international drug trafficking in the country which had been a perennial problem in the area for years, a statement issued by the PNP quoted Sirisena as saying.

Sirisena, who arrived in Manila on January 15 for a five-day state visit, returned to Sri Lanka on Saturday.

--IANS soni/