International Affairs

The newly appointed High Commissioner J.C. Weliamuna presented Letters of Credence on 20 September 2019 to the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, General David Hurly. The ceremony held at Government House was attended by Deputy Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Penny Williams, representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women, Australia.

Sri Lanka today condemned the drone attacks targeting the Abqaiq oil processing facility and Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia.

The Government of Japan has provided a grant aid worth 218 million Japanese Yen (approximately $ 2 million) through the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) for the project of ‘Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Sri Lanka’ to accelerate positive change on gender equality, empowerment of women and girls and respect for their human rights to achieve and sustain peace in Sri Lanka. The Exchange of Notes for the project was signed on 18 September at the Ambassador’s Residence between Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Akira Sugiyama and Regional Director of UN Women for Asia and the Pacific Mohammad Naciri. Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Development of Dry Zones Secretary Dharshana Senanayake also attended the ceremony.

One of world’s most dynamic SME and MSME collectives has come forward to support Sri Lankan MSMEs to fulfil its long cherished dream of going global.

US President Donald Trump today recalled the deadly bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday as he spoke at a UN event on religious freedom.

The first hi-tech vocational training centre in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province was launched on 18 September. The US $ 7.6 Mn new facility in Ariya Nagar, Kilinochchi gives Northern youth the sought-after, hi-tech NVQ level course offerings such as IT, electronics and automotive mechanics for the first time.

The US Government is helping make Arugam Bay a sustainable, green tourist destination.

Swiss Singapore Overseas (Pte) Ltd, a commodity trader, has won a deal to supply 300,000 metric tonnes of coal to Sri Lanka.

Hundreds of trade unionists from maritime unions affiliated with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) today expressed their support and solidarity with Captain Gennadiy Gavrylov and called on the Sri Lankan government to expedite his safe return home.

Sri Lankan authorities have assured International Monetary Fund (IMF) that they are taking steps to complete all the pending actions and structural benchmarks for the sixth review of Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) over the next few weeks.

A 480 million US dollar grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation was to be signed by Sri Lanka before defence related agreements with the US and there is no link between them, an official said.

The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia, Azmi Thassim, recently called on Saudi Space Commission Chairman Prince Sultan Bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at his office.

India is to supply more locomotives and wagons to Sri Lanka soon, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said today.

චීනයෙන් ආනයනය කරන ලද නවීන පහසුකම් වලින් සමන් විත දුම්රියක් කොළඹ හා බදුල්ල අතර ධාවනය සඳහා එක් කිරීමට දුම්රිය දෙපාර්තුමේන්තුව සැළසුම් කැර තිබේ.

Visa, the global payments technology company, yesterday launched a new roadmap that sets the direction for payments security in Sri Lanka for 2020 and beyond, in association with the Payment Card Industry Association of Sri Lanka (PCIASL).

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Sarah Hulton had talks with Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The United States says it hopes some policies will continue in Sri Lanka following the November 16 Presidential elections.

Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku yesterday issued a clarification regarding the Lotus Tower project allegations.