Message to Sri Lankans living abroad from Dr. P Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka

April 18, 2022

Currently, Sri Lanka is facing social, economic and financial distress creating hardships for its people due to the long-lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, global political imbalances and macroeconomic imbalances in the country. Although the authorities are taking measures to address the above situation of the country, including taking steps to actively manage its debt obligations, finding immediate financial assistance from other nations and progressing at the discussions with the International Monetary Fund for a comprehensive program, the positive impacts of such measures will benefit the people only in the medium to long term. Therefore, urgent measures are needed to enhance the foreign reserve position of the country to meet its day-to-day essential imports including food, fuel and medicine.  Read More »

Measures to be Followed Regarding Human Remains Repatriated from Overseas during the Pandemic of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

March 10, 2022

The latest guidelines No. DQ/06/2020 dated 28/01/2022 issued by the Director General of Health Services on measures to be  followed regarding Human Remains repatriated from Overseas during the Pandemic of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

Please click on this link….

Revision of Director General of Health Services Circular permitting burial of COVID Victims at any cemetery or burial ground

March 9, 2022

Please find attached Circular issued by the Director General of Health Services letter EPID/400/2019in-COV dated 02.03.2022 revising the rules pertaining to burial of COVID victims.

Click on this link….

75th Anniversary of Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Sri Lanka and Australia: Call for Stories

March 9, 2022

In line with the 75^th Anniversary of establishment of Diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Australia, the Australian High Commission in Colombo is in the process of collecting successful stories from Sri Lankans living in Australia to feature in the Australian High Commission’s Anniversary Web Site (https://www.75yearsaustraliasrilanka.com/).

The stories would be within 500-700 words in length.  Interested Sri Lankans who wish to share their successful stories, are kindly requested to e-mail the stories to Sri Lanka High Commission (admin@slhcaust.org) on or before 24^th March, 2022 as per the format given with this link.

Exemption of Pre-Departure COVID-19 testing of Fully Vaccinated Travellers

March 1, 2022

Quarantine measures for travelers arriving from overseas during the pandemic of COVID-19.  Please click the link below for instruction given by the DGHS letter issued on 25th February 2022.

Exemption of Pre-Departure COVID-19 testing of Fully Vaccinated Travellers….

Australia to assist Sri Lanka in developing a comprehensive national maritime disaster preparedness mechanism

February 21, 2022

The Ocean Affairs, Environment & Climate Change Division of the Foreign Ministry, together with the High Commission of Australia to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, held a multi-stakeholder meeting recently, to discuss international best practices, application of Systems Engineering model to work on the vision, mission and needs of Sri Lanka to establish a holistic and state-of-the-art Maritime Safety Authority. Read More »

74th National Day Messages – 2022

February 4, 2022

Hon Prime Minister’s National Day Message:

In Sinhala,   In Tamil,  In English

Hon. Foreign Minister’s National Day Message:

In Sinhala,   In Tamil,  In English

Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra, Australia, celebrates the 74th Anniversary of the Independence Day of Sri Lanka on 04 February 2022

February 4, 2022

Read More »

Foreign Minister discusses range of projects with Korean Speaker

January 31, 2022

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris hosted a Lunch on 20 January, 2022 in honour of the visiting Korean Delegation headed by the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Park Byeong-Seug.

During the lunch, the two sides held detailed discussions on ways and means to further enhance bilateral cooperation between Korea and Sri Lanka.  Extending the Government’s deep appreciation to the Korean Government for the enormous support extended so far with Korea’s proven technologies in construction, power generation and communications, the Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris invited for aggressive investments, more employment opportunities and technical cooperation by Korean authorities. Minister Peiris recalled that, during a previous period, there was a special investment zone in Sri Lanka for Korean entrepreneurs and emphasized that it would be timely to consider reviving this initiative, and expressed resolve to work towards it.

In his talks, the Korean Speaker reiterated Korean Government’s commitment to further deepen already buoyant bilateral relations between the two countries. He underscored the stratagem of the Korean transformation from one of the poorest country into an economic giant in the region in the span of a century, and, in this context, mentioned Sri Lanka too can adopt the growth model of Korea to expand and develop Sri Lanka’s economy into a major maritime hub in the Indian Ocean.

Minister of Labour Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapakse, State Minister of Foreign Employment Promotions and Market Diversification Piyankara Jayarathna,State Minister of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation Seetha Arambepola, State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya, State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Channa Jayasumana, Foreign Secretary Admiral. Prof. Jayanath Colombage, SLBFE Chairman Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, BOI Chairman Raja Edirisuriya, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Sri Lanka Santhush Woonjin Jeong and other officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Korean Embassy joined the deliberations. Other than the economy and politics, the discussions also tackled means to counter the ramifications of coronavirus pandemic as well as Sri Lanka’s progress in reconciliation, the protection and promotion of human rights and its reform process.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and the accompanying delegation is undertaking an official visit to Sri Lanka from 19 to 21 January 2021. The invitation to Korean Speaker to visit Sri Lanka was extended by Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris who had visited Korea in early January 2022.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

21 January 2022

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Visits Sri Lanka

January 14, 2022

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris expressed Sri Lanka’s keen interest to transform Sri Lanka–Hungary bilateral ties into a results-oriented, multi-faceted partnership at a bilateral meeting with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó on Wednesday 12 January.  Minister Szijjártó was on a working visit to Sri Lanka.

The two Ministers had productive discussions on a multitude of areas of bilateral interest. Minister Peiris noted with appreciation Hungary’s empathetic approach towards Sri Lanka in addressing residual issues of reconciliation, and apprised the Hungarian Minister on progress in reconciliation and the credible domestic framework in process to promote and protect human rights, in keeping with the country’s international obligations. Minister Peiris also noted that Hungary is a member of the European Union (EU), with which Sri Lanka maintains an important and abiding partnership.

The two Ministers highlighted the importance of broadening and deepening economic relations, including the promotion of trade, investment and tourism ties in the current global context.  Towards this end, the two Ministers agreed to convene the second session of the Sri Lanka-Hungary Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation (JCEC) at an early date this year. Minister Peiris referred to the need to optimize utilisation of the EU GSP plus facility in accessing the Hungarian market, as Sri Lanka’s key exports benefit from duty free access to the EU market.  Interest was also expressed in the early conclusion of the Double Taxation Agreement between the two countries, as well as cooperation, inter alia, in science and technology, Ayruveda and renewable energy.

During the visit, Minister Szijjártó, who was accompanied by a substantive business delegation from Hungary, launched the Sri Lanka-Hungary Business Forum in partnership with the Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardena, under the aegis of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka.

Noting that development cooperation comprises an important element of the bilateral partnership, Minister Peiris conveyed Sri Lanka’s appreciation to Hungary for providing infrastructure development assistance to Sri Lanka through a soft loan of Euro 52 million.  The current projects include the construction of flyovers at Kohuwala and Gatambe. At the invitation of the Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando, Minister Szijjártó visited the construction site of the Kohuwela flyover where the two Ministers laid the foundation stone for the project.

Another fruitful outcome of Minister Szijjártó’s visit was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Sri Lanka and Hungary on Cooperation within the Framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme for the Years 2022-2024. Under the programme, Hungary offers 20 scholarships annually to qualified Sri Lankan students to undertake undergraduate and postgraduate studies in a wide array of academic fields including engineering, sciences, economics and water management. Sri Lanka is the 86^th country to benefit from the scholarship programme. Minister of Education Dinesh Gunawardena signed the MoU on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka.

In the sphere of bilateral cooperation, the two Ministers agreed on the need to convene regular political consultations between the two Foreign Ministries to discuss issues of mutual interest.

In addressing the shared challenges posed by Covid-19, Minister Peiris acknowledged the support rendered by countries in Europe through the EU and bilaterally, such as Hungary, to enable vaccine equity globally.

State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya, Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage and senior Foreign Ministry officials were associated with the bilateral meeting at the Foreign Ministry. Minister Szijjártó was accompanied to the meeting by Secretary of State for Trade Policy and Consumer Protection of the Hungarian Ministry of Innovation and Technology Péter Cseresnyés, MP, and other senior officials of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

13 January, 2021