Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Sri Lanka elected to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Sri Lanka was elected today, 06 June 2018, to one of four (04) seats available for the Asia-Pacific, in the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, for the period 2018-2022, at the election that took place in Paris during the 7^th General Assembly of UNESCO.

Eight countries contested from the Asia-Pacific Group, namely, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Malaysia, Palau and Sri Lanka. With Palau withdrawing its candidature earlier today, seven countries stood for election. The countries that succeeded in being elected are: China, Sri Lanka, Japan and Kazakhstan, securing 123, 122, 107, and 98 votes respectively.

Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea Sign MOU on Cooperation in Aids to Navigation during Visit of Minister of Ports and Shipping Mahinda Samarasinghe

The Minister of Ports and Shipping of Sri Lanka Mahinda Samarasinghe and the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea Kim Young-Choon signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Ports and Shipping of Sri Lanka and Oceans and Fisheries of Korea on cooperation in the development of Aids to Navigation, on Monday 28 May 2018 in Incheon Metropolitan City in Korea. The MOU was signed during the visit of Minister Samarasinghe to the Republic of Korea on 28-30 May on the invitation of the Korean Government to participate in the 19^th International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) Conference at Songdo ConvensiA in Incheon City.

12 Stranded Sri Lankan Migrant Workers to be Repatriated from Somaliland with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Addis Ababa, and with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has succeeded in working towards ensuring the safe return of twelve Sri Lankan migrant workers stranded in Somaliland as a result of a labour dispute.

Sri Lanka does not have diplomatic and consular presence in Somaliland. Therefore, the Ministry and the Sri Lanka Embassy in Addis Ababa worked with the IOM Office in Hargeisa which interceded to negotiate with the employer concerned in Somaliland to resolve the labour dispute, secure the release of the Sri Lankans, and make arrangements for their safe return.

The twelve Sri Lankans are scheduled to return home shortly.

The Government of Sri Lanka acknowledges with gratitude the role of the IOM in providing much needed assistance to the Government and people of Sri Lanka on this occasion as well as in the past in many similar situations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges all Sri Lankans to be cautious in undertaking employment in high risk territories in which Sri Lanka does not have resident diplomatic and consular presence.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

28 May 2018

Launch of Trilingual interface for Foreign Ministry website

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The new interface of the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that was launched last month, at http://www.mfa.gov.lk is now Trilingual, and available in Sinhala and Tamil languages, in addition to English.

The language of the interface may be selected on the top right corner of the website. Quick links are as follows:-

English site: http://www.mfa.gov.lk/

Sinhala Site: http://www.mfa.gov.lk/sin/

Tamil site: http://www.mfa.gov.lk/tam/

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

28 May 2018

Appeal for relief assistance for victims of floods in Sri Lanka

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka has informed that heavy pre-monsoon rains in Sri Lanka have caused the deaths of at least sixteen people and more than 130,000 people have been affected in 20 District as of 25^th May 2018. Four districts are on "red alert" for possible landslides.

Sri Lankan expatriates and well-wishers, who wish to contribute towards the flood relief work conducted by the National Disaster Relief Service Center, are kindly requested to send financial contributions as advised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka, directly to:

Disaster Relief Account No: 7040171

Bank of Ceylon, Torrington Square

Ministry of Disaster Management

Sri Lanka High Commission, Ottawa

Consulate General, Toronto