Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris has sought greater economic cooperation with Iran, including enhanced bilateral trade, investment and the possibilities of cooperation in new sectors, such as tourism and energy. The Minister made this request when the  Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hashem Ashjazadeh called on him at the Foreign Ministry on 08 September, 2021.

In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Peiris highlighted the long standing friendly relations between Sri Lanka and Iran which have a proud legacy of two ancient and great civilizations. In recent years, the bilateral relations have been reinvigorated by the exchange of high level visits that have contributed to closer cooperation and coordination, both at the bilateral level as well as in the international arena.

The Foreign Minister conveyed the Sri Lanka Government's appreciation for the steadfast support extended by the Islamic Republic Iran during the Human Rights Council sessions held in Geneva and at other multilateral fora.

Ambassador Ashjazadeh extended his warm felicitations to Minister Peiris on his appointment as the Foreign Minister and assured the firm commitment and support of the  Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the expansion of bilateral cooperation with the Government of Sri Lanka.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

9 September, 2021

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

As part of an Asian tour undertaken to promote closer cooperation between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Asian countries, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asia, Middle East and Oceania of Venezuela, Ruben Dario Molina visited Sri Lanka from 24 to 28 August 2019.

The Venezuelan dignitary held official talks with the State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vasantha Senanayake on 27 August at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where both sides discussed modalities to forge closer cooperation between the two countries.

A draft Agreement to formalize a Political Consultation mechanism between the two Foreign Ministries, enabling a structured dialogue and enhancing bilateral ties for the mutual benefit of the two countries was discussed. Furthermore, a draft Agreement on the Exemption of Visas for holders of Diplomatic and Service passports was also shared with the Sri Lankan side with a view to facilitating official travel between Sri Lanka and Venezuela.

During the meeting, Sri Lanka emphasized its increased focus towards the Latin America region and both countries committed themselves towards a Road map to renew and expand their trade and economic cooperation, as well as, people to people contacts.

State Minister Senanayake conveyed the best wishes of President Maithripala Sirisena to the Government and the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.  Venezuela is the current Chair of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) of which Sri Lanka is a founding member.

Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha and senior Foreign Ministry officials were associated with State Minister Senanayake at the meeting. Vice Minister Molina was accompanied by Mr. Nestor Enrique Lopez, Minister Counsellor of the Venezuelan Embassy in New Delhi, which is concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

28 August 2019

Text in Sinhala (PDF)

Text in Tamil (PDF)

The Ambassador of Viet Nam in Colombo Ho Thi Thanh Truc paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris at the Foreign Ministry on 08 September 2021.

While recalling that the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries took place in 2020, Foreign Minister Peiris appreciated the mutually beneficial partnership existing between Sri Lanka and Viet Nam, and reiterated the country’s interest to further strengthen cooperation in political, economic and cultural spheres. He also recalled regular high-level interactions between the two countries, including the official visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Viet Nam in 2009.

Ambassador Truc elaborated on the multifaceted nature of ongoing cooperation between Sri Lanka and Viet Nam drawing attention to political ties at all levels, as well as cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture, fisheries, science and technology, education, culture, among other spheres.

Minister Peiris expressed his deep appreciation for the support extended to Sri Lanka by Viet Nam in international fora and welcomed collaboration in areas of mutual interest.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

09 September 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/sl-fm-viet-nam/)

The Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Toronto arranged the Information & Communication Technology / Business Process Management (ICT/ BPM) promotional workshop “Island of Ingenuity” on 12 August 2019 at Edward Hotel, Toronto, Ontario. The Advisor to the team working as the Sectoral Expert for the ICT/ BPM sector in Sri Lanka, Ruwindhu Peiris participated in the event as the resource person.  The workshop was attended by Sri Lankan expatriates engaging in the ICT sector.

The aim of this initiative was to leverage Sri Lanka’s Diaspora network to help transform the industry by tapping into their networks and unraveling opportunities for Sri Lanka’s ICT/BPM sector. Sri Lanka’s National Export Strategy 2022 targets to elevate IT/BPM sector and achieve a target of USD 5 billion in export revenues, 200,000+ new jobs and 1,000 new start ups.