Minister of Plantation Industries Laksman Kiriella successfully concluded his official visit to Malaysia on 11th May. Minister Kiriella led the Sri Lanka delegation to the Special Session of the Association Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) Assembly at Ministerial level which was held in Kuala Lumpur from 7-8 May 2015. The meeting was attended by Ministers of Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Senior Officials from India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Philippines. The ANRPC meeting was chaired by YB Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities of Malaysia. Mr. Anura Jayawickrama, Secretary of the Ministry of Plantation, Mr. R.B. Premadasa, Director General of Rubber Department of Sri Lanka and Mr. S.D. Kalansooriya, Coordinating Secretary of the Minister also participated at the ANRPC meeting.
The ANRPC meeting agreed to submit concrete proposals to strengthen the price structure for natural rubber prices to be considered for the consideration of the next annual ANRPC Assembly to be held in October 2015. The participants noted the weak performance of the natural rubber market and continuous low prices that had affected rubber farmers, particularly small scale rubber farmers. The Ministers agreed to establish an expert group and invite the private sector for a dialogue with ANRPC to explore the possibility of establishing a common trading platform for natural rubber linking the existing systems in the member countries.
Minister Laksman Kiriella called on his Malaysian counterpart YB Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Minister of Plantations Industries and Commodities on the sidelines of the meeting. Minister Uggah Embas congratulating Minister Kiriella for the recent presidential election of President Sirisena and conveyed that the Malaysian government looked forward to strengthen the existing bilateral relations with Sri Lanka and expressed that they would explore investment opportunities in the plantation sector of Sri Lanka. Minister Kiriella conveying the greetings of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the Malaysian government, expressed the new government's desire to strengthen relations with Malaysia. Minister Kiriella briefed his counterpart on the 100 programme of the new government and recent legislation enacted in Parliament. The Minister proposed a MOU to be signed between the two countries for cooperation in the plantation sector and both Ministers agreed to explore possibility to sign a MoU during the next Joint Commission Meeting in Colombo later in the year. Minister Kiriella also met Datuk Sami Vellu, Special Envoy for Infrastructure Development in India and South Asia and discussed matters pertaining to the proposed Kandy - Colombo highway and both sides looked forward to expedite the project.
The Minister also attended a ceremony to hand over earthquake relief donations to Nepal which had been organised by the Ven. B. Saranankara Thero, Chief Incumbent of the Sri Lanka Buddhist Viharaya, Sentul and the Theravada Buddhist Association in Malaysia. The members of the Trustee Board of the Sri Lanka Buddhist Viharaya, Sentul and Malaysian well wishers collected four containers of emergency relief items such as rice and dry rations, that was handed over to the Ambassador of Nepal in Malaysia, Dr. Niranjan Man Singh Basnyat on 10th May 2015. Sri Lanka High Commissioner in Malaysia, Mr. Ibrahim Ansar and senior diplomatic staff of the High Commission participated at the bilateral meetings and ceremony to handing over earthquake relief to Nepal.
High Commission of Sri Lanka
Kuala Lumpur
18th May 2015
