Daily Archives: December 5, 2012

The High Commission   of Sri Lanka in  collaboration  with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of External Affairs  and Export Development Board participated at the MAHA International  2012,  a nine  day biennial   agricultural  exhibition  held  from 24^th  November   to 2^nd  December  2012  in Serdang, Malaysia.   The exhibition   was organized by  the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Agro based Industry and FAMA   Consortium Sdn. Bhd. The MAHA Agricultural   fair is considered as  one of the biggest   agro based   trade fairs in the ASEAN region.

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Addressing the 101^st Council Session of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva on Friday (30 November), Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Ravinatha Aryasinha has observed that emphasis by the international community that Sri Lanka is now free from the dangers that constrained it during the time of the conflict, has been an important factor for those who left the country as refugees during the time of the conflict to return, with the joint assistance of the host countries, and organizations such as the IOM. However, at the same time illegal people-smuggling rings continue to rob families not only of their hard earned savings, but some times even their loved ones. Noting that the IOM, as well as a number of foreign governments, have in recent months acknowledged that the many Sri Lankans who continue to arrive on foreign soil illegally, are in fact economic migrants and not refugees, Ambassador Aryasinha said Sri Lanka remains committed to work with international partners toward raising awareness as to the dangers relating to illegal migration, with a view to end such practices.

Sri Lanka Permanent Mission

Geneva

30 November 2012

Full text of statement.

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