Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera will start an official tour in Europe today. Accordingly, he will first reach Brussels in Belgium. He expects to meet members of the European Union and to discuss the export of fish from Sri Lanka to Europe.

The European commission has temporarily suspended importing fish from Sri Lanka under the charges of Sri Lanka being engaged in illegal fishing disregarding international conditions. The European commission has influenced Sri Lanka to take measures to stop illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters. Sri Lanka was the second major supplier of tuna and sword fish to European region.

Source: www.news.lk

President Maithripala Sirisena said that the term of office of the President of Sri Lanka will be reduced to five years from the original six.

“I had insisted that the terms of the Presidency be reduced to four years though the Committee of Constitutional Experts and political leaders did not agree with my demand,” the President said addressing public officials of the Polonnaruwa district at the Thopawewa school grounds on Sunday.

“They said that holding a Presidential Election every four years was not good for the country,” he said.

The President added that they later came to the consensus that the term of the Presidency should be confined to five years due to his strong insistence.

Read more: Presidential term limited to five years - President

The President of the United States, Barack Obama, notes that there is new hope for democracy in Sri Lanka and that India can help countries like Sri Lanka forge a better future.

In a transcript posted on the White House website of a speech Obama made at the Siri Fort Auditorium in India, the US President is quoted as saying that India can help other countries with their elections by using the experience India has with its elections.

Read more: US President sees new hope in Lanka

The UK Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire is paying a second visit to Sri Lanka from 28-30 January, shortly after the formation of a new government, the UK High Commission in Colombo said in a release today.

As part of a broad visit Mr. Swire will call on senior ministers including Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to discuss the new government's reform programme and areas of potential co-operation.

Read more: UK Minister Hugo Swire to visit Sri Lanka

Six new Governors were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat today (27).They were:

Mr. H. M. G. S. Palihakkara – Governor of the Northern Province

Mr. Austin Fernando – Governor of the Eastern Province

Mr. Marshall Perera – Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province

Ms. Surangani Eallawala – Governor of the Central Province

Mr. P. B. Dissanayake – Governor of the North Central Province

Mr. M. P. Jayasinghe – Governor of the Uva Province 

Earlier, Mr K.C. Yogeswaran, Mrs. Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake and Mr. Hemakumara Nanayakkara were sworn in as Governors of Western, North Western and Southern Provinces respectively.

Source: www.priu.gov.lk

“Sri Lanka is wanting to go beyond strengthening traditional ties to strengthening economic ties to enter the modern age”, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe speaking at the Indian High Commission reception to mark the 66 th Indian Republic Day.

He further said that the newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena and the masses who voted him to power share this perspective.

Read more: Sri Lanka aims to improve ties with India - Prime Minister

India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Y. K. Sinha his country is ready to work with the new government of Sri Lanka to take the bilateral relationship between the two nations to the next level and stands ready to continue to provide support and partnership to the closest neighbor in realizing its people's aspirations.

"India looks forward to working with the new Government of Sri Lanka to take the bilateral relationship to the next level for the benefit of the people of the two countries and the South Asian region as a whole," the High Commissioner said at the 66th Republic day celebrations held at the India House Monday.

Speaking about the state of India-Sri Lanka relations, High Commissioner highlighted that India shares a special relationship with Sri Lanka which is not just geographical, but dictated by ties of shared religions, cultural practices, family linkages, linguistic commonalities, economic inter-linkages, and political understanding between two democracies.

Read more: India ready to take bilateral relationship to next level with new government of Sri Lanka – Indian HC