Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

“Thaipongal is the festive harvest season for the Hindu Tamil community world over. Thai Pongal is dedicated to the Hindu sun god Suriya Bhagavan thanking him for providing agricultural abundance beginning from the month of January.

The festival is named after the ceremonial "Pongal", which is the traditional dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with juggery. To mark the festival, the pongal sweet dish is prepared, first offered to the gods and then shared with family and friends. The festival also includes offering prayers in the home, temples, getting together with family and friends, and exchanging gifts to renew social bonds of solidarity.

The Tamil language is regarded as one of the oldest languages in the world and abundant with literary works. Among the great poets who have enriched the Tamil language are Thiruvalluvar, Kambar, Ilangko and Subramania Bharathiyar. Similarly, Sri Lankan poets like Somasunthara Pulavar,Vipulanantha Adigal and Mahakavi have contributed to the richness of Tamil poetry.

Thaipongal is also a time to celebrate the contributions made by Tamil-Canadians to the Canadian society; the richness of the Tamil language and culture, and passing down at important traditional values, ethics for future generations.

Sri Lanka as a multi - ethnic and multicultural society that has over the years collectively nurtured the celebration of important festivals such as Thaipongal: I am pleased and happy to wish peace and good health to the Canadian Tamil community as they celebrate Thaipongal.

Harsha Kumara Navaratne

High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Canada

The Foreign Ministry, following careful consideration, has taken a decision to temporarily close three of its Missions / Posts overseas, i.e., the Sri Lanka High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria; the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Frankfurt, Germany; and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Nicosia, Cyprus; with effect from 31 December 2021.  The decision, which has received the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, is part of a restructuring process of Sri Lanka’s network of Missions and Posts overseas carried out by the Foreign Ministry.  The restructuring is undertaken with a view to conserving the country’s much needed foreign reserves and minimising expenditure related to maintenance of Sri Lanka’s Missions / Posts overseas, while ensuring the effective conduct of bilateral relations, in the backdrop of the grave economic challenges posed by the global pandemic.

Upon closure of the three identified Missions / Posts, their functions, including maintenance of bilateral political, economic, cultural relations as well as consular functions as relevant, will come under the purview of accredited, and in the case of Abuja and Nicosia, non-resident High Commissions / Embassies of Sri Lanka.  In this regard, action is in process to concurrently accredit Nigeria through Sri Lanka’s High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya; and the other countries in Africa concurrently accredited through the Sri Lankan Mission in Abuja, through Sri Lanka’s Embassy in Cairo, Egypt and High Commission in Nairobi, respectively.  The functions of Sri Lanka’s Consulate General in Frankfurt, including trade, investment and tourism promotion, as well as consular matters of Sri Lankan nationals living and working in and around Frankfurt, will come under the purview of Sri Lanka’s Embassy in Berlin, Germany.

The concurrent accreditation of Cyprus through the Sri Lanka Embassy in Rome, Italy will continue, with the latter handling Sri Lanka’s bilateral relations with Cyprus as per current practice.  The consular functions handled by the Consulate General in Nicosia will be brought under the purview of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Rome.  However, considering the significant consular and welfare requirements of the approximately 6,000-strong Sri Lankan employee community living and working in Cyprus, which need to be addressed on a regular basis, action is being taken by the Foreign Ministry to appoint forthwith a suitably qualified Honorary Consul based in Nicosia.  The Honorary Consul thus appointed will function under the direction of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Rome and the Foreign Ministry, in close coordination with the State Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotions & Market Diversification and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment.  The Foreign Ministry will closely monitor the transition process in Cyprus in order to address issues, if any, and provide further solutions if deemed relevant and necessary in the foreseeable future.

Notwithstanding cost-cutting measures, the Foreign Ministry continues to attach highest priority to maintenance of bilateral relations with all countries at optimum level, to meet the foreign policy objectives of the Government with special focus on economic diplomacy, which entails the promotion of exports, foreign direct investment, tourism and foreign employment generation.  The Ministry pays high attention to its mandate of safeguarding the welfare and effective functioning of Sri Lankan employees overseas with due regard to their direct and significant contribution to the nation’s economy in terms of foreign remittances.  A continuous evaluation of Mission / Post requirements vis-à-vis achievement of targets is being undertaken by the Foreign Ministry through a consultative process, both internal and external, involving senior representation of the Foreign Ministry and Sri Lanka’s Heads of Mission / Post overseas, as well as relevant line institutions of Government including the Ministries of Finance, Trade and Labour; the State Ministries of Regional Cooperation and Foreign Employment Promotion & Market Diversification; the Department of Commerce, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, among other agencies.  The decision to temporarily close the three identified Missions / Posts is subject to continuous review, and action will be taken in due course to consider re-instatement of relevant resident Missions / Posts as deemed necessary.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

27 December, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/temporary-closure-sl-missions/)

The Government of Sri Lanka and the Islamic Republic of Iran signed the MoU between the Ministry of Plantation of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Industries, Mine, and Trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran to formulate a scheme for the settlement of the outstanding payments from Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to the National Iranian Oil Company at the Foreign Ministry on 21 December 2021.

Minister Plantation Sri Lanka Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, and Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine, Trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran Alireza Paymanpak signed the MoU on behalf of their respective Governments. This was with the main focus to promote the mutually beneficial cooperation between Sri Lanka and Iran in the field of economic relations. The MoU aims at increasing the sale of Ceylon Tea to the Islamic Republic of Iran through the settlement of an outstanding payment for the oil purchases by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Ambassador  of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hashem Ashjazadeh , State Minister of Regional Co-operation Tharaka Balasuriya, State Minister of Company  Estate Reforms, Tea and Rubber Related Crop Cultivation and Factories Modernization and Tea/Rubber Export Promotion Kanaka Herath, Secretary Ministry of Finance S.R. Attygalle, Secretary Ministry of Plantation Ravindra Hewavitharana, Chairman SLTB Jayampathy Molligoda, Chairman of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation W.W.D. Sumith Wijesinghe, Director General of Sri Lanka Tea Board Anura Siriwardena, the Senior officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Tea Board in Sri Lanka were also present at the event of signing the MoU.

The Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine, Trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran Alireza Paymanpak also paid a courtesy call State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya and Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage, and discussed the matters of mutual interest and ways of further enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries.

At this moment of celebration we recall the dedication and efforts of the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Iran Wishwanath Aponsu and Ambassador  of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Sri Lanka  Hashem  Ashjazadeh  which have immensely  contributed to finalize the MOU  and the commitment, foresight, goodwill and friendship  between  the two countries   which  paved the way to  signing of this MOU.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

24 December, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/mou-iran-sl/)

The Government of the Republic of Botswana with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka has appointed Mr. Gilbert Shimane Mangole as the High Commissioner of the Republic of Botswana to Sri Lanka based in New Delhi. He has presented credentials to H.E. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka on 21 December 2021 at 5.30 p.m. at President’s House, Colombo 01.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

22 December, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/hc-botswana/)