The Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission in Chennai has reported that a mob of around 15 people , carrying iron rods, wooden sticks and knives had entered the office of the Bank of Ceylon Branch at Poonamallee High Road in Chennai at 1.30 p.m. on 7th February 2013. The mob had overpowered two police personnel and a security guard of a private company manning the gate of the premises, smashed the window panels of the security room of the Bank of Ceylon Office and the glass doors of the ATM centre and had injured a staff member of the Bank and caused cut injuries to a trainee .
අමාත්යාංශයේ මාධ්ය නිවේදන
Inclusion of Sri Lanka in CMAG agenda is contrary to Commonwealth rules- GL tells Secretary-General in London
Prof G.L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs held discussions in London on Tuesday with Mr Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary-General on the upcoming meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government in Sri Lanka in November this year.
Press Statement regarding International Bar Association Issue
Following the detection of inaccurate information contained in the visa applications of the 4 member delegation representing the International Bar Association (IBA), which had unilaterally scheduled a visit to Sri Lanka, regrettably the Government of Sri Lanka was constrained to withdraw visas issued through the ETA system for 3 applicants and the other by a diplomatic mission.
Internationalization will hinder local process – Minister Peiris
*Sri Lanka has always worked with the UN agencies
*Pressure on Lanka would polarize affected parties
“Mr. James Moore who was Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Colombo, you would be able to see the difference between that time and now on the ground in the war affected areas,’’ External Affairs Minister Prof G. L Peiris told Mr. Moore who is one of the members of the US high level delegation now in Colombo, last evening, when he met its members.
Minister Peiris calls on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Minister of External Affairs Prof. GL Peiris who is currently in New Delhi in connection with the 8th Session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission called on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 23 January. Minister Peiris conveyed the greetings of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Prime Minister Singh. Recalling President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent visit to India in September 2012, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requested Minister Peiris to convey his warm personal regards to the President and assured Minister Peiris that India’s cooperation with Sri Lanka in all sectors is accorded highest priority.
India – Sri Lanka Joint Press Statement
The Eighth meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission was held on 22 January 2013 in New Delhi. It was co-chaired by Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of External Affairs of India and Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs of Sri Lanka. The Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was preceded by the Senior Officials Meeting at the level of the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries on 21 January 2013.
Sri Lankan seaman in the hijacked vessel “Orana” by Somali pirates released
A cargo vessel “MV Orana” owned by an Ajman based shipping company, Kassab Inter Shipping LLC was hijacked by Somali pirates on 2nd December 2010 with twenty crew members on board including a Sri Lankan seaman named Mr. K.A.S.Soorasena.
The Ministry of External Affairs, through the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Nairobi, was in constant contact with the owner of the vessel with a view of securing the release of Mr. Soorasena while keeping his family briefed about the developments on regular basis.