Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake visited Washington D.C. from 17th to 18th February and met with senior officials of the Bretton Woods institutions, the US Treasury, the US Department of State and the White House. He met with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde, the World Bank's Managing Director Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and US Assistant Secretary for Treasury Ramin Toloui as well as US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nish Biswal and the senior officials of the White House.

Read more: Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake concludes successful visit to Washington

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaweera will travel to Geneva to attend the High-Level Segment of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to be held on 2^nd March 2015. Over 65 Foreign Ministers from around the world will participate in this year's High-Level Segment.

He is also scheduled to meet UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

20^th February 2015

UNEDITED SPEECH  -  18.2.2015 

ගරු මංගල සමරවීර මහතා (විදේශ කටයුතු අමාත්‍යතුමා)

(மாண்புமிகு மங்கள சமரவீர - வெளிநாட்டலுவல்கள் அமைச்சர்)

(The Hon. Mangala Samaraweera - Minister of Foreign Affairs) 

Hon. Presiding Member, as you maybe aware, at the end of January, I was in Brussels, the home of the European Union. The objective of my visit was largely to revive positive relations and begin a new chapter in Sri Lanka-European Union relations, based on mutual respect and understanding. But, I was also in Brussels  to specifically address two very urgent issues of great national importance: firstly, the EU-IUU fishing ban which was announced on the 14^th of October last year and which came into force three months later, on the 14^th of January this year, exactly one week after the new President was sworn into office. Secondly, I went there to discuss the question of the GSP Plus tariff concession, which was withdrawn from Sri Lanka nearly five years ago as a result of the previous Government’s persistent reluctance to embrace good governance and ensure basic human rights. 

Read more: Foreign Minister's Statement in Parliament on EU visit, Fishing & GSP

The Government of Sri Lanka vehemently condemns the gruesome killing of twenty one Coptic Christian Egyptians by the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Libya last Sunday, 15^th February 2015.

Read more: Sri Lanka condemns the brutal Killing of 21 Egyptians in Libya.

President Maithripala Sirisena returned to the island today (Feb.18) after completing a successful three-day State visit to India.

This was the first overseas visit by President Sirisena after assumption of office last month.

During his visit, President Sirisena met with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The President also met several political leaders and other dignitaries.

Read more: President returns after successful visit to India

Press Releases issued by Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

• External Sector Performance -December 2014
• Monetary Policy Review - February 2015
• External Sector Performance -November 2014
• Monetary Policy Review - January 2015

Economic Research Department

Central Bank

Colombo

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Mangala Samaraweera will undertake an official visit to China on 27-28 February 2015, at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Wang Yi. 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo 

17^th February 2015