Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

“Sri Lanka is a country of smiling people, when you go there once, you want to go again and again”, reminiscenced a young Vietnamese entrepreneur, who attended the Sri Lanka Business Conclave themed “SRI LANKA: Hub of the Indian Ocean-The Land of Business Opportunities” on 30^th November 2017 at the Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, having visited Sri Lanka recently. Yet another participant from the US, Ms. Sue McKinney, an attorney and a business consultant working and living in Viet Nam for over 20 years, was much vocal in sharing her fascination of Sri Lanka, especially noting her pleasant surprise when she received her visa within a few minutes of applying. 

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake attended the 10^th Bali Democracy Forum (BDF-X) in Jakarta on 7^th December 2017. Speaking at the Ministerial Panel of BDF-X, the State Minister observed that the Forum is significant to Sri Lanka as the current national unity government is taking a number of measures to reinforce democracy by addressing diversity, security, equality and social justice of the people under the theme of good governance. He added that the government also restored freedom of expression and media freedom, which are two crucial pillars of democracy. The State Minister also highlighted the firm commitment of the government to strengthen, uphold, promote and protect equity and social justice in Sri Lanka with a resolve to achieving reconciliation, ensuring durable peace and non-recurrence of violence, promotion and protection of human rights, ending impunity and upholding the rule of law, and strengthening good governance and democracy and equitable and inclusive development. 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tilak Marapana, this morning, 8 December, handed over the deed for a plot of land – No. 4, Hewa Avenue, Colombo 7 – to the Ambassador for the State of Palestine to Sri Lanka, Zuhair M.H. Zaid. The plot of land is a gift from Sri Lanka to the State of Palestine to build its new Chancery in Colombo.

The 3^rdSession of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) held from 4^th to 6^th December 2017, unanimously approved two important resolutions co-sponsored by Sri Lanka that called upon the global community to reduce toxic pollution sources that impact negatively on the environment, oceans and human health.