Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Foreign Secretary Aryasinha discusses obstacles placed on Sri Lanka’s Peacekeeping Contribution to the UN

2019-09-30

Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha who is presently leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the 74^th UN General Assembly Session, on Friday (27^th September 2019) met with Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Peace Operations (USSG/UNDPO) at the UN Headquarters in New York to discuss obstacles placed on Sri Lanka’s Peacekeeping contribution to the UN.

Upon the Foreign Secretary seeking clarification on the statement made on 25^th September 2019 by the Deputy Spokesman of the UN Secretary General relating to Sri Lankan troops deployed for UN Peacekeeping, the Under Secretary General (USG) stated that only 25% of the troops from Sri Lanka presently engaged in peacekeeping operations will be replaced, when they complete their term in Lebanon. These places would be filled through a re-adjustment of existing peacekeepers presently in Lebanon. USG Lacroix confirmed that there will be no further reduction of Sri Lanka Peacekeepers.

Earlier, the Foreign Secretary pointed out that the President of Sri Lanka had appointed Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva as the Army Commander in the context that there were no factually substantiated or proven allegations of human rights violations against him, and by virtue of his being Chief of Staff at the time.

The Secretary observed that the Government of Sri Lanka disputes the credibility of the compiled reports relating to allegations against Lt. Gen. Silva. He recalled that the 2011 Darusman Report was so seriously flawed that the Human Rights Council at the time had rejected to issue it with a formal number, as a UN document. Further, it was stated that the OHCHR Inquiry Report (OISL) of September 2015 made clear that “it was a human rights investigation and not a criminal investigation” and that “the names provided in the description of the chain of command do not imply criminal responsibility for those particularly alleged violations listed in this report, either as direct responsibility or under command or superior responsibility. Individual criminal responsibility can only be determined by a Court of Law with all necessary due process guaranteed.” The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) publication of January 2019 was a re-formulation of previously published flawed material.

He said none of these reports can be taken as substantive as establishing culpability of Lt. Gen. Silva.

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) as well as the Paranagama Commission reports, which were domestic processes that examined the allegations particularly with regard to the last stages of the conflict, have not found substantive evidence against the conduct of the current Army Commander, who has testified in person before both Commissions.

STATE MINISTER THARAKA BALASURIYA DISCUSSES POTENTIAL FOR ENHANCING TOURISM AND ECONOMIC TIES WITH UKRAINIAN COUNTERPARTS

State Minister of Regional Co-operation Tharaka Balasuriya undertook an official visit to Ukraine from 8 – 10 September 2021, to participate in a Sri Lanka tourism promotion campaign and to discuss the potential for enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries.

During the visit, the State Minister participated at a media and tour operator networking session. The event, organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, attracted representatives from leading media and travel organizations in Ukraine and provided an important opportunity to highlight Sri Lanka’s tourist attractions, particularly emerging sights and travel experiences the country had to offer tourists from Ukraine.

State Minister Balasuriya also met Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dymtro Senik, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Taras Kachka and the President of the Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Gennediy Chyzhykov and members of the Chamber and discussed means of further enhancing economic relations between the two countries, particularly in areas such as agriculture, ICT and tourism.

The State Minister was accompanied by Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Ukraine Rizvi Hassen, Director General of the State Ministry of Regional Cooperation Savitri Panabokke, and Media Secretary of the State Minister Deshan Gonawela,

State Ministry of Regional Cooperation

15 September, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/sm-ukrain/)

Foreign Secretary Aryasinha welcomes proposal for Maldives’ readmission to Commonwealth

Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha on Thursday welcomed the proposal for the readmission of the Maldives to the Commonwealth family reiterating that Sri Lanka fully supports the fast track procedure previously applied in the readmission of Gambia, to allow the Maldives to participate fully at CHOGM 2020 in Rwanda.

He made this observation at the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting held in New York on 26 September 2019 on the sidelines of the 74^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, chaired by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations. Aryasinha said, “as a close neighbor and a fellow South Asian nation, Sri Lanka enjoys strong bilateral ties with the Maldives, and it is gratifying that one of the primary initiatives embarked upon by the new Maldivian administration last year was to convey its intention to re-join the Commonwealth.”

The Foreign Secretary noted that particularly given that the Commonwealth Secretariat had carried out a comprehensive assessment mission in the Maldives in January 2019 resulting in a positive outcome; any perceived obstacles to its re-entry should be seen as mere imperfections that afflict all countries from time to time. He urged that additional hurdles not be placed in their way, which would serve as a disincentive.

STATE MINISTER THARAKA BALASURIYA PARTICIPATES IN TOURISM PROMOTION CAMPAIGN IN MOSCOW

State Minister of Regional Co-operation Tharaka Balasuriya undertook an official visit to Russia from 5– 8 September 2021, to participate at the opening of the Sri Lanka pavilion at the “OTDYKH Leisure Fair” and a Sri Lanka tourism promotion campaign in Moscow. Sri Lanka’s participation at these events were organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau targeting the winter season tourists from Russia.

During the visit, the State Minister participated at the opening of the Sri Lanka pavilion at the Leisure Fair, which is the largest travel fair in the country. This year, despite the pandemic situation, the Fair attracted over 6,000 visitors, indicating the strong interest of Russian tourists to travel abroad.

Addressing the media and travel representatives during the tourism promotion event, the State Minister highlighted that beyond the traditional tourist sites, Sri Lanka now offered new experiences and sites for the discerning Russian tourist, from idyllic beaches ideal for surfing to scenic villages in the central mountains. State Minister Balasuriya also highlighted the health measures adopted by the country to ensure the safety of visitors from abroad.

State Minister Balasuriya also held discussions with prominent social media influencers in order to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination, as they have a strong impact on young travelers across the world. He also encouraged Russian investments in the tourism sector in Sri Lanka.

State Ministry of Regional Cooperation

15 September 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/sm-moscow/)

Foreign Secretary Aryasinha underscores the relevance of the Bandung Principles as global multilateral mechanisms come under strain

NAM_Pic

Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha on 26 September 2019 underscored the relevance of the Bandung Principles at a time when global multilateral mechanisms are under strain, when addressing the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held in New York, on the sidelines of the 74^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Given that NAM encompasses 55 percent of the world’s population it has a moral duty to give voice to the concerns of the Global South, especially the developing small States.

Sri Lanka reaffirmed its commitment to NAM efforts to address current global challenges that transcend national borders such as conflict, migration, climate change and communicable diseases. Non-traditional security threats such as climate change have emerged not only as an economic and social challenge but as a security threat where societies and countries are made vulnerable due to man-made disasters. While welcoming the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit held at the UN Headquarters on 23 September 2019, Secretary Aryasinha expressed deep concern about the negative impacts of climate change, particularly on island nations such as Sri Lanka. The Foreign Secretary also expressed hope that the upcoming COP25, to be held in Chile would galvanize efforts in combating climate change by meeting the commitments entailed in the Paris Agreement.

Foreign Secretary Aryasinha stated that Sri Lanka attaches importance on combating all forms of racism, hate and violent extremism and that there is a need to focus on the new threats that have emerged, demonstrated by the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka. He stressed that such a global menace threatens the security of all nations and cannot be tackled by a single country alone but requires collective efforts and called on NAM to collectively contribute to this global security threat in a constructive and cohesive manner. The Foreign Secretary stated that Sri Lanka believes in a free society where freedom of expression is ensured, however there is a need to be conscious of the growing threat of hate speech and abuse of the internet and social media platforms.

The theme for the Ministerial Meeting was “Upholding principles of sovereignty and political independence as a means to maintain international peace and security and foster friendly relations and cooperation among States” and an outcome document was adopted at the meeting. Sri Lanka is a co-sponsor of the Bandung Conference of 1955 and a founding member of the NAM. The Group has continued to progress over the last six decades and its membership has now surpassed 120 - two-thirds of the membership of the United Nations.

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

New York

26 September 2019

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