From left: Managing Director of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Chamarie Maelge; Sri Lankan cricket celebrity, Mahela Jayawardene; High Commissioner to the UK, H E Manisha Gunasekera; Neil Dobbs of Travel Gallery (UK) and Rosyth Estate House (SL); Chandra Wickremasinghe of Theme Resorts and Spas
Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha on Thursday (8 August 2019) called for an early decision by ASEAN to include Sri Lanka as an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner, in order to strengthen engagement with ASEAN and its member countries.This follows the submission to the ASEAN of Sri Lanka’s dossier for Sectoral Dialogue Partnership in March 2019.
The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom Manisha Gunasekera met with a 16-member delegation from the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association on Monday 05 August 2019 at the Sri Lankan High Commission in London. Fourteen girl guides from Musaeus College Colombo, Girls High School Kandy, Hillwood College Kandy and Maliyadewa Balika Vidyalaya Kurunegala led by the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association International Commissioner Manishini Ekanayake and Guide Captain Shiromi Serasinghe were in the UK to participate in a Girl Guide Camp in Leicestershire.
Sri Lanka is hosting the First Meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Maritime Safety and Security Working Group (MSSWG), in Colombo on 8th and 9th August. This Meeting will finalize the Work Plan for two years, advancing the IORA Action Plan (2017-21) with Member States towards developing a regional agenda.
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom Manisha Gunasekera and senior staff of the High Commission met with the Sri Lanka Netball Team comprising Manager Trixie Nanayakkara, Coach Thilaka Jinadasa, Captain Chathurangi Jayasooriya and team members on Friday 05 July 2019 at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London. The Sri Lanka team was in London to take part in the Netball World Cup 2019 being held in Liverpool in July 2019. Sri Lanka qualified for the 2019 Netball World Cup as an Asian representative having won the 2018 Asian Netball Championship in Singapore. High Commissioner Gunasekera warmly welcomed the Sri Lanka Netball team to the High Commission and extended the sincere best wishes of the Sri Lanka Government to the team for the Netball World Championship in Liverpool.
Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Ravinatha Aryasinha met with the Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sir Simon McDonald on Wednesday 10 July at the FCO on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting in London.
The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom Manisha Gunasekera met with the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on Thursday 04 July 2019 at the City Hall in London. The High Commissioner had a productive discussion with the London Mayor on strengthening Sri Lanka’s cooperation with the city of London, as well as the significant contribution by the British Sri Lankan community in London to the city’s development and prosperity.
Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Ravinatha Aryasinha at the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM)
Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha on Wednesday (10 July) conveyed Sri Lanka’s appreciation for the support and solidarity extended by the Commonwealth membership and the Secretary-General in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday tragedy, and called for greater focus in countering violent extremism within the Commonwealth. Welcoming the ‘Christchurch Call Initiative’ which reaffirms the importance of addressing threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism online and commits countries and online service providers to work together to tackle them, the Foreign Secretary commended the adoption of the Commonwealth Cyber Declaration with members’ commitment to a peaceful and secure internet. » Read more
Former President H E Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga being presented with the 2019 Common Ground Award by H E Roza Otunbayeva, 2018 Common Ground Awardee and the first female President of Kyrgyzstan
Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka’s first and only female President, was awarded the 2019 Common Ground Award for her vision, courage and commitment to peace and reconciliation by Search for Common Ground at a reception organized in her honour on Monday 17 June 2019 at the Cholmondeley Room, House of Lords in London. The former President received the award from Roza Otunbayeva, the 2018 Common Ground Awardee and the first female President of Kyrgyzstan.
