General Jagath Jayasuriya presented credentials to Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff President of the Federative Republic of Brazil at the President Palace (Palace of Planalto) in Brasilia on 04th November 2015. Twenty one other Ambassadors presented credentials to the President.
Remarks to Media by
Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Foreign Affairs
on Human Rights Day
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 10th December 2015.
Ladies & Gentleman,
Today is Human Rights Day, as you know. And as in the past, Sri Lanka will join the countries of the world in commemorating this important event. But this year, Sri Lanka’s commemorations will not only be symbolic – it will also be substantive. So I am very pleased to announce that Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, will today, this morning in New York, in fact, will be signing the International Convention on Enforced Disappearances.
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal and US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Tom Malinowski for a discussion on Sri Lanka titled “Towards Sustainable Peace in Sri Lanka: The Opportunities Ahead” on December 1st. The discussion was moderated by President of USIP Nancy Lindborg. Participation was by invitation only.
Mr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Preparatory Commission along with a delegation from the Preparatory Commission meet Hon. Dr. Harsha De Silva, Deputy Foreign Minister at the Ministry today, 4 December 2015.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had an urgent meeting today (2nd December 2015) with the Chargé d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Colombo at the Parliament complex to express the concerns of the Government of Sri Lanka on the reported judgment of the Dawadmi Court of Saudi Arabia which states that a Sri Lankan national should be stoned to death on the charge of adultery. Ministers Thalatha Atukorale, A.H.M. Fowzie, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment R. K. Obeyesekere and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were associated with the Foreign Minister at the meeting.
High Commissioner Somasundaram Skandakumar called on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on 30th November at her office in the Parliament House. Issues of mutual bilateral interest and potential for further enhancement of the economic partnership between the two countries and the strong people to people links were discussed. The High Commissioner briefed on the positive developments taking place in Sri Lanka and the Government's initiatives towards reconciliation and engaging with the wider Sri Lankan diaspora community. He also referred to the recent Policy statement made by the Prime Minister to create one million jobs, attract investments and encourage exports.
Sri Lanka was unanimously elected as the Chair of the Budget Committee of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at the 192nd Administrative Council Meeting held at the Peace Palace in the Hague yesterday, 1st December 2015. The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Netherlands, Adam M.J. Sadiq was proposed for this post by Dr. Liesbeth Lijnzaad, Legal Adviser of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who chaired the meeting which elected Ambassador Sadiq by acclamation.
