Good Morning Ladies and Gentleman,
It has been a great honour and privilege to welcome the Honourable John F. Kerry, Secretary of State of the United States, to the historic Republic Building which has been the home of our Foreign Ministry since Independence.
Secretary Kerry’s visit is a momentous occasion for Sri Lanka as it is the first official visit by a US Secretary of State in nearly half a century - 43 years to be precise.
On the invitation of Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Secretary of State of the United States of America John Kerry will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka from 2nd to 3rd May 2015. This is the first official visit by an US Secretary of State since that of William Pierce Rogers in 1972. Secretary Colin Powell visited Sri Lanka following the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2005.
Secretary Kerry will pay a courtesy call on President Maithripala Sirisena and hold wide ranging discussions with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Samaraweera. He will deliver a special guest lecture on the invitation of the Foreign Minister and attend several other engagements in Colombo.
The Government and the people of Sri Lanka is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and extensive damage to property caused by the earthquake which occurred this (25th April) morning in Nepal and extends sincere condolences to the Government and people of Nepal particularly the families of the bereaved, and, wish a speedy recovery to those injured by this calamity.
Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay who visited Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Maithripala Sirisena concluded his three-day official visit on Sunday 12 April 2015. He was received on arrival by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera along with several dignitaries. Madam Tashi Doma accompanied the Bhutanese Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay will undertake an Official visit to Sri Lanka from 09 to 12 April 2015 on an invitation extended by President Maithripala Sirisena.
The Government of Sri Lanka has at present evacuated 54 Sri Lankans from Yemen.
43 Sri Lankans were evacuated to Djibouti by a Chinese vessel on 6 April 2015, while India and Indonesia each evacuated 3 Sri Lankans. Previously, 5 Sri Lankans who had crossed over to Oman, from Mukalla were received in Salalah by officials of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Oman, who facilitated their return to Sri Lanka.
An operational center was set-up in Djibouti by the Sri Lanka High Commissioner in Nairobi to coordinate evacuation and repatriation of Sri Lankans.
At the invitation of President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan, President Maithripala Sirisena paid a State visit to Pakistan from 5th to 7thApril 2015. This is the first visit by President Sirisena to Pakistan since his election in January 2015.
