'Clinton's visit to bring int'l focus to Nagapattinam'

The high-profile visit would give int'l focus to Nagapattinam, which had high scale of deaths in the tsunami disaster, District Collector J Radhakrishnan said.

The high-profile visit of former US President Bill Clinton to Nagapattinam on Friday would give international focus to Nagapattinam, which had high scale of deaths in the tsunami disaster, District Collector J Radhakrishnan said on Thursday.

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"His visit would also be a morale booster for the rehabilitation efforts here," Radhakrishnan told the agency.

He said Clinton's visit as UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery would also focus attention on the spirited fight back made by the villagers, despite losing their near and dear ones in the killer waves on December 26, 2004.

The visit would highlight the importance of public-private partnership in the relief and rehabilitation efforts, after a big tragedy like the tsunami, he said.

"The way people responded to the tragedy and their spirited fight back will get the deserved attention," Radhakrishnan said.

But the main outcome of Clinton's visit would be "an international focus" to Nagapattinam, where over 6000 people died in the tsunami, he said.

On the security aspect, he said "all appropriate" security measures are being taken for Clinton's visit to Nagapattinam.