Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

The first resident High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka Michael Appleton paid a courtesy call on State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya on 28 July, 2021.

Welcoming the new High Commissioner Appleton, the State Minister Balasuriya highlighted the potential to build upon the existing cordial ties between the two countries.   He discussed means of further diversifying and expanding trade relations with New Zealand and also emphasized the opportunities that exist in Sri Lanka for potential New Zealand investors in diverse areas, especially in the economic zones and the Colombo Port City.

State Minister Balasuriya and High Commissioner Appleton also discussed means of collaboration between the two countries on the creative economy, an area which the State Ministry has launched a program recently. They also focused on further cooperation in the areas of sports, education and renewable energy.

Associated with the State Minister Balasuriya were senior officials of the State Ministry of Regional Cooperation and the East Asia Division of the Foreign Ministry.

State Ministry of Regional Cooperation
Colombo

28 July, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/new-zealand-sl-2/)

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa declared open a Regional Consular Office of the Foreign Ministry in Kurunegala virtually on 27 July 2021. Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Highways & Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando, Provincial Governor for North-Western Province Raja Kollure, State Minister for Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya, and several other dignitaries joined the opening ceremony.

This Regional Consular Office in Kurunegala will cater to the public in the North Western Province and neighboring regions providing a range of consular services such as attestation of birth, marriage and death certificates as well as educational certificates for overseas use; authentication of export documents and related certificates; extending assistance to family members of Sri Lankans stranded abroad; processing of compensation claims and other forms of redress to affected migrant workers, and repatriation of human remains of deceased Sri Lankans from abroad.

The Foreign Ministry, under the direction of Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, has taken an initiative to open Regional Consular Offices islandwide since January 2020 with the objective of giving impetus to the National Policy Framework of the Government “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor” aimed at improving the productivity and delivery of consular services offered to the public.

This is the latest Regional Consular Office opened by the Ministry in order to provide consular services through a network of regional offices across the island, enabling the public to receive such services without travelling to Colombo, especially during this pandemic period.

The other Regional Consular Offices are located in Kandy, Matara,Jaffna and Trincomalee.

 The contact details of the Regional Consular Office in Kurunegala are;

3rdFloor,
Department of Probation and Child Care Services,
No. 2, Dambulla Road,
Kurunegala.

Tel: 037-2225931
Fax: 037-2225941,
E-mail:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

28 July, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/consular-kurunegala/)

Foreign Minister Hon. Tilak Marapana and delegation met with Madam Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Under- Secretary General in charge of the UN Office in Geneva Mr. Michael Moller this week, on the side-lines of the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

High Commissioner Bachelet on 20 March, having received the delegation warmly, appreciated the progress made by Sri Lanka in some of the key human rights commitments arising from HRC resolution 30/1, and reaffirmed her readiness and willingness to continue to work with Sri Lanka closely in further strengthening implementation and achieving progress through technical assistance and support in areas where such assistance was required by Sri Lanka.

The delegation comprising Hon. Dr. Sarath Amunugama, M.P., Hon. Dr. Suren Raghavan, Governor of the Northern Province, and Mr. Ravinatha Aryasinha, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez had a frank and candid discussion with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, during which perspectives on different aspects of OHCHR’s engagement with Sri Lanka were shared by the delegation. Regarding certain information contained in the Office of the High Commissioner’s Report such as the “mass graves” in Mannar, the release of lands held by the military in the North and East and other matters, the Sri Lanka delegation emphasized the importance in compiling these reports by engaging closely with the relevant local institutions and independent bodies, including the National Human Rights Commission, in verifying facts on the ground.

At the meeting with the  UN Under- Secretary General on 21 March the Foreign Minister briefed Mr. Moller on progress achieved by Sri Lanka in reconciliation, peacebuilding and development and emphasized the importance of continuing assistance by UN agencies in ongoing reconstruction, reintegration and sustainable development efforts. The Foreign Secretary and the Permanent Representative were associated with the Minister.

Appreciating Sri Lanka’s leadership in some of the key areas of UN work, Mr. Moller indicated that his office would facilitate contacts between Sri Lanka and other development partners based in Geneva to help explore joint projects to complement Sri Lanka’s national efforts at advancing socio-economic development, noting further that “Sri Lanka being a country with reasonably higher social indicators than many developing states, it could better share best practices and lessons learnt in its national development efforts with the SDG Lab maintained by the United Nations Office (UNOG) and benefit from the experiences of other countries as well. Responding to Sri Lanka initiative on the National Thripitake Week and the importance of Thripitake as a UNESCO heritage, Under-secretary General Moller assured the delegation that the UN Office in Geneva would extend support for holding specific activities such as library talks on traditions and cultures highlighting their significance as common heritage.

On 21 March, Heads and deputy heads of UN and other International Organizations based in Geneva, Ambassadors to the Human Rights Council and other representatives had an opportunity to meet Hon. Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana and other members of his delegation at a reception organized by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva at a venue provided courtesy the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nation

Geneva

23 March 2019