International Affairs

රුසියාවෙන් මිලට ගැනීමෙන් වළකින ලෙස ඉල්ලමින් භාණ්‌ඩ ලැයිස්‌තුවක්‌ ඇමරිකානු රජය ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට ලබාදී ඇත.

Envoys from the Organization of Islam Countries (OIC) are urging President Maithripala Sirisena to ensure the safety of the Muslim community in the face of hate speeches uttered by senior politicians and the clergy.

Sources from the Presidential secretariat say that senior additional secretary - Esala Weerakoon is to be appointed as the new general secretary of the SAARC.

The top United Nations official in Sri Lanka, Hanaa Singer, is expressing concern about the growing number of “incidents of hate speech being used in Sri Lanka against ethnic and religious minorities.”

Expressing concern about reports that Sri Lanka would reverse the moratorium on the death penalty, Canada said the punishments in the nature of the death penalty can lead to irreversible miscarriages of justice.

Scores of Sri Lankan refugees living in various camps in Virudhunagar district on Monday submitted separate petitions seeking Indian citizenship to Collector A. Sivagnanam.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said application of the death penalty may impede international cooperation to fight drug trafficking.

The international and regional strategic landscapes becoming increasingly constrained, only accentuates the need for the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to get down to its substantive task of negotiating appropriate disarmament frameworks, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Geneva A.L.A. Azeez said while speaking at the CD Plenary Session in Geneva.

Two career-diplomats assumed ambassadorial duties in two key world capitals this month.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed his gratitude for the hospitality accorded to him and the delegation during the recent visit to Sri Lanka.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) signed an agreement on June 19 with the National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development and Youth Affairs Ministry to implement the project, ‘Resilience Building Against Recurrent Natural Shocks Through Climate Adaptation and Diversification of Livelihoods for Vulnerable Communities in Sri Lanka’.

China has removed its travel advisory on Sri Lanka from June 22, a spokesman said.

Development Strategies and International Trade (MODSIT) Minister Malik Samarawickrama inaugurated the meeting, while Ministry Secretary S. T. Kodikara delivered the welcome address. The TIFA session at the technical level was co-chaired by Actg. Director General of Commerce Nimal Karunatilake and Assistant United States Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Christopher Wilson.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa makes a brief stopover at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) today (27) while travelling on an official foreign trip.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has strengthened its intelligence network with India, following the latest Indian intelligence reports that warned of possible renewed attacks by the Islamic State (IS) terrorists.

President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa made a brief visit to Sri Lanka today (27), while he was en route to the G20 summit.

The British High Commission yesterday said it was deeply concerned at the possible abandonment of the moratorium on the death penalty in Sri Lanka.

The US Government has moved up the level of travel advisory for Sri Lanka from three to two on Monday, the US Embassy said today.