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Lifting of Temporary Restrictions on the Imports of Ceylon Tea and other Agricultural Products from Sri Lanka

A nine member Sri Lankan technical delegation led by the Chairman of Sri Lanka Tea Board, including the Director General of the Department of Agriculture joined with H. E. the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, had a fruitful discussion with the Head of the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor), Deputy Head of Rosselkhoznadzor in charge of phytosanitary matters, and other officials of Rosselkhoznadzor on December 25, 2017.

Response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Media Queries on the Resolution on the ‘Status of Jerusalem’ adopted at the tenth emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on 21 December 2017

Sri Lanka voted in favour of the resolution titled ‘Status of Jerusalem’ submitted by Yemen and Turkey in their capacity as Chair of the Arab Group and Chair of the Summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation, respectively, at the tenth emergency special session of the UN General Assembly, on 21 December 2017.

U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation Reselects Sri Lanka to Continue Grant Programme

The Board of Directors of the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) reselected Sri Lanka for its grant programme at its meeting on December 19. This will enable MCC to continue developing its compact programme with the government of Sri Lanka for which Sri Lanka was selected a year ago, in December 2016.

Joint Statement Between Malaysia and Sri Lanka on the Occasion of the Official Visit of Honorable Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia to Sri Lanka

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JOINT STATEMENT

BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL VISIT OF HONORABLE DATO’ SRI MOHD NAJIB TUN ABDUL RAZAK, PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

TO SRI LANKA

17-19 DECEMBER 2017

1.At the invitation of His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the Honourable Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, undertook an official visit to Sri Lanka from 17-19 December 2017. This is Prime Minister Najib’s second visit to Sri Lanka since assuming office as Prime Minister in 2009.

Third Reading of Budget 2018: Speech delivered by Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Finance and Media on 09th December 2017

Hon. Chairman,

I am delighted to begin my speech with the good news that today we received US$ 292 million as the first tranche of the Hambantota Port PPP joint venture. This is but the first step in realizing the true commercial value of the Port after 7 long years.

The joint venture PPP partnership with China Merchant Port Holdings (CMPH), a member of China Merchant Group which owns a network of 49 ports across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean, will enable Hambantota Port to benefit from the broader trade and shipping network that CMPH will provide access to.

Visit of the Prime Minister of Malaysia to Sri Lanka

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At the invitation of President Maithripala Sirisena, the Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak will undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka from 17-19 December 2017. The visit is of special significance in the context of the growing bilateral partnership between the two countries, and in the backdrop of Sri Lanka and Malaysia celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Sri Lanka: A Land of Business Opportunities

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“Sri Lanka is a country of smiling people, when you go there once, you want to go again and again”, reminiscenced a young Vietnamese entrepreneur, who attended the Sri Lanka Business Conclave themed “SRI LANKA: Hub of the Indian Ocean-The Land of Business Opportunities” on 30th November 2017 at the Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, having visited Sri Lanka recently. Yet another participant from the US, Ms. Sue McKinney, an attorney and a business consultant working and living in Viet Nam for over 20 years, was much vocal in sharing her fascination of Sri Lanka, especially noting her pleasant surprise when she received her visa within a few minutes of applying.

Sri Lanka gifts a plot of land for a new Chancery Building for the State of Palestine

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tilak Marapana, this morning, 8 December, handed over the deed for a plot of land – No. 4, Hewa Avenue, Colombo 7 – to the Ambassador for the State of Palestine to Sri Lanka, Zuhair M.H. Zaid. The plot of land is a gift from Sri Lanka to the State of Palestine to build its new Chancery in Colombo.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs attends Bali Democracy Forum in Jakarta

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State Minister for Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake attended the 10th Bali Democracy Forum (BDF-X) in Jakarta on 7th December 2017. Speaking at the Ministerial Panel of BDF-X, the State Minister observed that the Forum is significant to Sri Lanka as the current national unity government is taking a number of measures to reinforce democracy by addressing diversity, security, equality and social justice of the people under the theme of good governance. He added that the government also restored freedom of expression and media freedom, which are two crucial pillars of democracy. The State Minister also highlighted the firm commitment of the government to strengthen, uphold, promote and protect equity and social justice in Sri Lanka with a resolve to achieving reconciliation, ensuring durable peace and non-recurrence of violence, promotion and protection of human rights, ending impunity and upholding the rule of law, and strengthening good governance and democracy and equitable and inclusive development.