Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Italy Jagath Wellawatte met, Deputy Speaker of the Italian House of Deputies Giorgio Mulé at the Italian Parliament premises.
Giorgio Mulè is the Vice President of the House of Deputies (Deputy Speaker) since October 2022, a member of the Defence Commission of the House of Deputies, and is a member of the Forza Italia Presidency Coordination Body. The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the bicameral Italian Parliament and the other house is the Senate of the Republic.
Ambassador and Deputy Speaker discussed several key issues pertaining to the close bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and Italy.
At the meeting Ambassador suggested to establish Italy – Sri Lanka Parliamentarians Friendship Association considering the existing multifaceted relations encompassing political, economic and religious spheres as well as people-to-people contacts between two countries. Ambassador Wellawatte added that the friendship association will help deepen the relations and assist in promoting parliamentary democracy and further added that after the establishment of the parliamentary group, the friendship group could undertake a visit to Sri Lanka to meet with the Sri Lankan members of Parliament. The Deputy Speaker responded positively to this proposal stating that he would work with the Embassy to form the Parliamentary Friendship Association
Ambassador Wellawatte also briefed Deputy Speaker Mulè on the ongoing negotiations with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies of Italy to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between Italy and Sri Lanka on Labour matters. As Deputy Speaker Mule’ is a member of IIA (Institute for International Affairs) a private, independent non-profit think tank, founded in 1965 to promote awareness of international politics and contribute to the advancement of European integration and multilateral cooperation, Ambassador requested the assistance of the Deputy Speaker to set up a political professional awareness programme for the members of Parliament, provincial, municipal and village councils in Sri Lanka. In response, the Deputy Speaker suggested that this programme could be arranged through online seminars, in coordination with prestigious universities in Italy (“L.U.I.S.S.” Intl. University in Rome or “Bocconi” University in Milan).
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Rome
18 May 2023
