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Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa
ESTABLISHMENT OF THREE REGIONAL OFFICES WITHIN THE PAST TEN MONTHS TO DECENTRALIZE THE CONSULAR SERVICES OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY
The Programme on Decentralization of Consular Services within the purview of the Foreign Ministry is underway. Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage points out that this Programme is being conducted under the instructions and guidance of the Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, in accordance with the scheme by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to bring public services to the village. Secretary Colombage also points out that the three Regional Consular offices in Kandy, Trincomalee and Kurunegala districts have been dedicated to public service in the previous ten months under the present Government and that preliminary action has been taken to establish two other Regional offices in Badulla and Ampara districts before the end of this year.
“More than two thousand people from different areas of the country arrive at the Consular Division of the Foreign Ministry in Colombo daily to obtain Consular services and the Ministry has been obliged to limit public visits and impose restrictions for not having the services rendered without a prior appointment on account of the COVID-19 pandemic situation. In view of providing relief to those who become uncomfortable due to this condition, the Foreign Ministry has taken action to establish Regional Consular offices at provincial level as one of its initial steps. These Regional Consular Services are able to perform special services including facilitating payment of compensation, unpaid salaries, social security entitlements for the Sri Lankan migrant employees and their next of kin, bringing back to the country the dead bodies of Sri Lankan nationals who have passed away, authenticating the certificates and documents, getting the fishing vessels and fishermen in foreign custody released, registration of births and deaths occurring abroad and assisting in bringing back the deserted Sri Lankans abroad. Preliminary activities are being carried out to establish the Badulla and Ampara offices within this year amidst financial difficulties, on the instructions given by President Rajapaksa to make public services closer to people in villages. Secretary Colombage further mentioned that the Provincial Councils and Local Government Authorities also provide a huge support for this program.’’
Foreign Ministry
Colombo
05 August, 2021
(https://mfa.gov.lk/regional-consular/)
State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake assumes duties
The newly appointed State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake assumed duties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today, 29 May 2019.
He was sworn in as the State Minister of Foreign Affairs this morning before President Maithripala Sirisena.
State Minister Senanayake was received by Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha, Additional Secretaries and other senior officials upon arrival at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Prior to assuming duties, the newly appointed State Minister of Foreign Affairs met with Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana at his office.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
29 May 2019
FOREIGN MINISTERS WELCOME OPENING OF NEW ZEALAND HIGH COMMISSION IN COLOMBO
New Zealand and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministers, Nanaia Mahuta and Dinesh Gunawardena, have welcomed the opening of the New Zealand High Commission in Colombo next week.
The Foreign Ministers, who met virtually yesterday, spoke about the opening of the High Commission as a major milestone in the bilateral relationship. Both Ministers stressed that New Zealand's diplomatic presence in Sri Lanka is a further affirmation of the significance of the steadily expanding bilateral engagement in recent times.
“Our countries and our peoples have been good friends for over 70 years, including through New Zealand’s early commitment to the Colombo Plan in 1950,” Minister Mahuta said. “Sri Lanka and New Zealand have a lot in common, as diverse, island nations making our way in a complex geostrategic world.”
“The opening of our High Commission in Colombo is a signal of New Zealand’s long-term commitment to Sri Lanka, in realms as varied as the strategic, economic, educational, cultural, sporting and people-to-people. There’s still a lot of potential to realise in our relationship, and the new High Commission is New Zealand’s recognition of that.”
Minister Gunawardena appreciated the opening of the New Zealand High Commission as a timely move as “our two countries work together in a geostrategically more complex region”. He expressed confidence that it would contribute to the advancement of bilateral trade while also supporting efforts at promoting investments. "Sri Lanka stands for and encourages safe, orderly and regular migration, and welcomes potential investors and tourists from New Zealand,” emphasized Minister Gunawardena.
Minister Gunawardena also recalled the history of close bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and New Zealand and the visit to Sri Lanka of New Zealand Prime Minister Walter Nash during the tenure of Minister’s Gunawardena’s late father Philip Gunawardena as Minister of Agriculture and Food in 1958. Prime Minister Nash’s visit featured the opening of the National Milk Board and the Dental Training Institute funded by the New Zealand Government under the Colombo Plan.
Ministers Mahuta and Gunawardena also discussed the (virtual) ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers Meeting on Friday 6 August.
The New Zealand High Commission in Colombo is due to open on Tuesday 10 August. An official opening ceremony will take place in due course, once conditions permit.
Colombo
04 August, 2021
Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa hosts first ever Ceylon Tea and Cake Dansala
The Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tea Board hosted the first ever Ceylon Tea and Cake Dansala at the High Commission premises on 24th May 2019, to celebrate the Vesak festival this year.
The Vesak Dansala offered passersby free Cake and Ceylon tea from Nuwaraeliya, Dimbula, Uva, Uda Pussellawa, Kandy and Ruhuna giving an opportunity for the Canadians to taste different flavours of Ceylon Tea. The passersby were also provided with complementary Ceylon Tea sachets to enjoy at home. The Dansal premises were decorated with Buddhist flags, tourist attractions related to Buddhism and cultural heritage.
SINGAPORE-BASED GLOBAL NON-PROFIT, THE ALLIANCE TO END PLASTIC WASTE DONATES BEACH CLEANING MACHINERY TO SRI LANKA
The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) of Sri Lanka received eight (08) BeachTech Hydro Sweepy beach cleaning machinery worth about US$180,000, donated by Singapore-based global non-profit, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance). The donation was formally handed over by Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage to State Minister of Coast Conservation & Low-Lying Lands Development Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva, and Chairperson of Marine Environment Protection Authority Dharshani Lahandapura at a ceremony held today.
BeachTech Hydro Sweepy beach cleaning machines manufactured by Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG, a company in Germany, are capable of effectively and efficiently cleaning up the plastic nurdles and other types of waste. Another advantage of the machine is that beach clean-up can be done in a safe manner minimizing the human contact with hazardous materials.
These machines are expected to help with the clean-up of plastic waste from the ship X-Press Pearl, which sank off Sri Lanka’s West Coast in May 2021 causing significant environmental damage. The donation was coordinated by the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore.
The Alliance reached out to the High Commission in June this year as it is a Global Non- Profit that focuses on ending plastic waste in the environment globally and were concerned about the impact of plastic pellets from the X-Press Pearl incident and its possible impact on the marine environment.
The initial discussions on assistance from the Alliance was held virtually with the participation of High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore Sashikala Premawardhane, Director General/ Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change of the Foreign Ministry Hasanthi Dissanayake, the General Manager of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara, and Alliance representatives Vice President of Projects Nicholas Kolesch, Head of Outreach and Education Kim Stengert, and Head, Government and Public Affairs Ravi Alfreds.
The coordination effort of getting the machines to Sri Lanka involved officials from the Sri Lanka High Commission in Singapore, Sri Lanka Consulate General in Frankfurt, Foreign Ministry, MEPA and SriLankan Airlines. Chairman SriLankan Airlines Ashok Pathirage agreed to transport the machinery from Frankfurt to Colombo on gratis basis and Regional Manager Sri Lankan Airlines Mohan Meegolle supported by coordinating the arrangements of the airlift. Chairperson/MEPA Dharshani Lahandapura and her team facilitated both the initial discussions and the processes involved in donating of the equipment.
The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore extends its appreciation to President and CEO Jacob Duer and the team from the Alliance for offering assistance towards Sri Lanka’s beach clean-up efforts with the donation of BeachTech Sweepy machines and looks forward to working with the “The Alliance to End Plastic Waste”, in furthering partnerships and building networks to protect the marine environment of the country.
Foreign Ministry
Colombo
02 August 2021
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