Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

STATE MINISTER BALASURIYA CALLS FOR INDIAN INVESTORS TO JOIN SRI LANKA IN PURSUIT OF ‘SHARED PROSPERITY’

State Minister for Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya invited Indian Investors to join in Sri Lanka to achieve ‘shared prosperity’ for both nations by taking the opportunity to Invest in Sri Lanka.

The Minister made these remarks at the India Country session of the Invest Sri Lanka Forum broadcasted digitally from the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo.

The State Minister highlighted 6 key areas of interest for potential investors during his keynote address with a focus on the rubber, textile and Information Technology industries.

He also encouraged investors to utilize the special fiscal incentives on offer through the Special Economic Zones, particularly through the recently established Colombo Port City.

Organized by the Board of Investment, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and the Colombo Stock Exchange, ‘Invest Sri Lanka’ was Asia’s first and largest virtual forum to attract foreign investments with over 4500 participants from over 85 countries.

State Ministry of Regional Cooperation

Colombo

10 June 2021

Emergency Flood Relief Coordination by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

OFFICIAL URGENT NOTICE

Emergency Flood Relief Coordination by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Ottawa and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Toronto wish to inform the Sri Lankan community, associations, and well-wishers that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism has shared detailed information on flood relief coordination and community contributions.

The document is available for download and review via the link below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o868Ym9EohuTl34JU4LZkXvjVFX1rvsX/view?usp=sharing

Community members are encouraged to review the document and share it within their networks, including friends, associations, and community groups, and to follow the guidance provided for any contributions or inquiries related to flood relief efforts.

For further assistance or clarification, please contact:

- High Commission, Ottawa : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

- Consulate General, Toronto: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thank you for your support and solidarity in assisting those affected by the floods in Sri Lanka.

FOREIGN MINISTER GUNAWARDENA CONVEYS APPRECIATION TO AUSTRALIAN COUNTERPART FOR SUPPORT TO SRI LANKA

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia Marise Payne on Wednesday (09/06) expressed his deep appreciation for the support extended by Australia towards Sri Lanka in addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Foreign Minister welcomed Australian assistance in the form of a COVID-19 containment package amounting to Rs. 1,787 million; donation made through UNICEF of essential COVID-19 supplies; and provision of protective equipment. In addition he welcomed the Royal Australian Aircraft's delivery of 9.8m facemasks and 3,200 coveralls to the Ministry of Health on the 4th of June 2021.

The Foreign Minister requested for the Australian government’s support to procure Astra Zeneca vaccines which the Australian Minister agreed to consider positively.

The Ministers also agreed to launch appropriate programs to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Australia, in April next year. Acknowledging the positive role that Australian Development Assistance has played in the national development efforts of Sri Lanka, Minister Gunawardena emphasized the importance of continued support to Sri Lanka at this critical time. In response to a specific request made by the Sri Lanka side, the Australian Foreign Minister offered to make available to Sri Lanka technical assistance to mitigate the environmental damage caused by the Express Pearl ship in Sri Lankan waters.

During the conversation, Minister Gunawardena conveyed H.E. the President’s request for support for organic fertilizer based agriculture, and Minister Payne responded that Australia would provide technical assistance in that field, through Australian research institutes.

The Ministers discussed a wide range of bilateral and multi-lateral matters including, Australia’s ongoing projects in Sri Lanka amounting to AUD $58m. Minister Payne’s assurance that Australia would continue to cooperate with Sri Lanka in its work with Commonwealth organisations and Asian regional organizations such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the Bali Process was especially appreciated by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister.

Foreign Ministry
Colombo

10 June 2021

FOREIGN MINISTER GUNAWARDENA APPRECIATES RUSSIA’S SUPPORT TO SRI LANKA IN CONVERSATION WITH FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV

2021-06-09

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov on Monday 07 June 2021 expressed his deep appreciation for the support extended by Russia towards Sri Lanka in addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this regard, Foreign Minister Gunawardena welcomed Russia’s assistance in accessing the Sputnik V vaccine to support Sri Lanka’s nationwide inoculation programme, as well as ongoing cooperation between the relevant institutes of epidemiology and biotechnology in producing the vaccine.

The Foreign Minister also reiterated Sri Lanka’s appreciation to Russia for the support extended to Sri Lanka in multilateral fora, including in the Human Rights Council.

Bilateral consultations being scheduled within the framework of the two Foreign Ministries, as well as the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, were among other issues discussed.