Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, on an official visit to the Republic of Korea, expressed Sri Lanka’s commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations for mutual benefit, on Friday 11 March in Seoul.  Minister Samaraweera’s sentiments were reciprocated by Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.  The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister was accompanied on the visit by the Minister of Foreign Employment Thalatha Atukorale, demonstrating the importance attached to labour relations with Korea by the Sri Lankan Government.  This was the first official visit to Korea by a Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka since the inauguration of the Government in 2015.  

Read more: Foreign Minister Samaraweera Commits to Further Strengthen Sri Lanka – Korea Relations for Mutual Benefit

The Government of the Kingdom of Thailand hosted the 14^th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Ministerial Meeting under the theme “ACD – the way forward” on 9^th - 10^th March 2016 in Bangkok, which was preceded by a Senior Officials’ Meeting.

Read more: 14th ACD Ministerial Meeting concludes

The Canadian Assistant Deputy Minister for Global Affairs Susan Gregson, and the Director General, Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs Priyantha Rathnayake recently signed a memorandum in favor of a Canadian Volunteer Cooperation Program in Sri Lanka.

Read more: Canada and Sri Lanka signed memorandum on UNITERRA

Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister in Charge of Economic Affairs of Thailand, arrived in Sri Lanka on 8^th March for an official visit, at the invitation of Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. The visit is a follow up to the visit of President Maithripala Sirisena to Thailand in November 2015.

Read more: Visit of Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand to Sri Lanka 8-12 March 2016

High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Canada Ahmed A. Jawad met with Michael Chan Minister of Immigration and International Trade of Ontario. The High Commissioner briefed the Minister on recent developments in Sri Lanka. Trade, tourism and investment opportunities were also discussed 

1      At the invitation of H.E. Maithripala Sirisena, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the Rt Hon Mr John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, paid an official visit to Sri Lanka from 23-27 February 2016. During the visit, Prime Minister Key held official meetings with President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo.

Read more: Joint Statement by Sri Lanka and New Zealand on the Occasion of the Official Visit to Sri Lanka by the Prime Minister of New Zealand

Address by

 Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, MP

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka

US Institute of Peace, Washington DC

25 February 2016

Advancing Reconciliation and Development in Sri Lanka 

Last February, soon after the election of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Election held on 8 January 2015, I stood before a similar audience in this great city and outlined our plans and our vision for Sri Lanka. 

Read more: Address of Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera at the US Institute of Peace