Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage formally accepted a donation of 10 Ventilators and a consignment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) donated by the Government of Turkey, and presented by the Ambassador of Turkey in Sri Lanka Demet Şekercioğlu, at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday 18 February 2021. The donation was made by the Turkish Government in support of Sri Lanka’s ongoing Covid- 19 containment efforts of the Government.

Foreign Secretary Colombage expressed the Sri Lankan Government’s gratitude and deep appreciation to the Government of Turkey for the valued donation, while recalling the ever growing mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. The Foreign Secretary also referred to the increased importance of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Turkey in recent times, including in the economic sphere.

Senior officials of the Foreign Ministry as well as diplomatic staff of the Turkish Embassy in Colombo participated in the donation ceremony.

Foreign Ministry
Colombo

18 February 2021

Sri Lanka’s 73rd anniversary of independence was celebrated by the Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa, Canada on 4th February 2021 at the Official Residence of the High Commissioner.

The Independence Day events commenced with the hoisting of the national flag by Mrs. Sithara Khan, the Acting High Commissioner and the singing of the national anthem of Sri Lanka. Multi-faith religious observances by the venerable members of the Maha Sangha and respected religious dignitaries representing the Hindu, Catholic and Islam faiths were conducted to bestow blessings on Sri Lanka and the people of the country.

An excerpt from the vision of H.E the President of Sri Lanka outlined in the national policy document “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” was read on the occasion followed by the reading of the Independence Day messages issued by the Hon. Prime Minister and the Hon. Foreign Minister.

The programme concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Mrs. Chandira Weerasinghe, Attaché, followed by traditional Sri Lankan refreshments.

Due to the prevailing lockdown in Ottawa in view of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the event was attended by the members of staff of the High Commission.

Sri Lanka High Commission Ottawa

4 February 2021

Full text of the speech made by His Excellency President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 73rd Independence Day – February 4, 2021

Today marks the 73rd anniversary of our nation gaining independence from colonial rule. On this day we pay our respects to all the leaders from the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher and other sections of the population who made various sacrifices to win our independence.

I also pay my tribute to the brave war heroes who sacrificed their lives and underwent great hardships to preserve our nation’s independence and sovereignty.

We have faced many challenges as a nation in the 73 years since our independence. From time to time, we have had to face religious and ethnic conflicts, racist and terrorist activities, undue external influences, constitutional crises, and many other obstacles. The challenges of establishing national security, achieving true reconciliation amongst various communities of our nation, and building a strong economy that can deliver sustainable economic development and eliminate poverty still lie ahead of us.

At a juncture when our nation’s heritage, its traditions, its national identity and patriotism were under serious threat, more than 6.9 million people elected me as President to provide the leadership needed to reestablish national security and overcome the many challenges facing our country.

I am a Sinhala Buddhist leader and I will never hesitate to state so. I govern this country in accordance with Buddhist teachings. Within the Buddhist philosophic tradition of peaceful coexistence which gives due respect to all religions and ethnicities, every person in this country irrespective of his or her ethnic or religious identification has the right to enjoy the freedom as equals under the nation’s legal framework.

Traitorous elements always band together and seek to marshal domestic and foreign forces against the leadership that upholds indigenous way of life and country’s sovereignty. Such elements mislead the public through false propaganda in a subtle way. I request the people of our nation to always think critically before acting. If people make assessments based on facts and take decisions only after finding out the truth, no one will be able to mislead the public.

The public has given the current Government a mandate to execute the policies articulated in my vision statement “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour”.

I have sworn as the nation’s leader to always protect our nation’s independence, unitary status, territorial integrity and sovereignty on behalf of our future generations. I will always uphold that pledge.

Sri Lanka is a democratic nation. Every citizen who lives in this country has equal rights. We reject any efforts to divide our citizens based on ethnic or religious reasons. We always strive to protect the fundamental rights and human rights of all our citizens, and always stand for the principle of one nation, one law.

Read more: PRESIDENT’S 73RD INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH

The Foreign Ministers of the two countries agreed yesterday (22) to focus on new strategies to further strengthen the existing economic, political, social and international relations between Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The agreement has been reached during a telephone conversation that Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had with Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, to congratulate the Government of the Philippines on the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Philippines. During this telephone conversation, the two sides also discussed about the establishment of an Embassy of the Philippines in Sri Lanka and the commencement of flights between the two countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines has agreed to share their best practices in securing many employment opportunities for Phillipino workers in foreign countries and further, he has agreed to identify the methods available and to assist Sri Lanka in this endeavour. During the talks, both parties have agreed to work together in the manufacturing and services sector and to provide greater opportunities for the exchange of views between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the two countries.

Minister Gunawardena expressed the gratitude of the Government of Sri Lanka to the Government of the Philippines for its support over the past 60 years in maintaining friendly diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

 23 January 2021

In his address at the 17th Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) held on 21 January 2021 under the theme “New Normal and Safe and Healthy Tourism”, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena stated that Sri Lanka opened its borders after much consultation, preparation following best practices, keeping safety and security of its citizens as paramount and that of the visitors. The Ministerial meeting was preceded  by a Senior Officials Meeting held on 19 January 2021.

Commending the Government of the  Republic of Turkey for  hosting   the ACD  Ministerial Meeting virtually, Minister Gunawardena stated that   Sri Lanka is  committed to the  ambitious  work plan of the ACD  in line  with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to promote inclusive growth in the region. Commenting further, the Minister stated that in line with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s policy framework “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor” Sri Lanka is focusing on a friendly and non-aligned foreign policy with special focus on Asia.

As a  Co-prime mover  of the pillar  of Science, Technology  and  Innovation, Minister Gunawardena stated that Sri Lanka is  aware   of the transformative impact Science, Technology and  Innovation  could  contribute to  the 2030 Agenda and that the importance of  this pillar was  amply  demonstrated  as the world  embraced in  various  degrees   the “new normal” from the  beginning of 2020,  with a  view  to adapting  the  disruption that the  pandemic  created in  all  aspects  of  human  activities. He insisted that all Member States need to invest more in this important pillar, by creating platforms of knowledge sharing in order to recover collectively as it is a global issue.

He also welcomed  the initiative  of  Turkey  for organizing the   first  virtual  Conference  of the Chambers of  Commerce  and Industry  of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue member countries on the sidelines of the ACD meeting on 20 January 2021. With a  view to boost trade and to keep supply chains moving, a delegation of Sri Lanka Chamber members and  officials of the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka participated at the Conference.

The meeting adopted the Ankara Declaration   on mitigating the adverse effects of the pandemic  and recovery efforts focusing on tourism. Minister Gunawardena stated that the Government of Sri Lanka made special provisions and granted concessions  to the  services  sector   affected  severely  by  global restrictions on travel. With a view to revive the travel industry, Sri Lanka took positive steps to open up gradually while being cautious. He stated that Member States whose economies are also dependent to a greater part on    tourism will     understand the     burden placed on Governments to ensure the safety and security of all those involved in the industry and therefore there is need to collaborate with all States transparently  and support  each other in  finding  solutions  collectively.

The Senior Officials meeting was led by Additional Secretary Economic Affairs Division P M Amza. Acting Director General Multilateral Anzul Jhan and Development Officer  of the Economic Affairs Division Inoka Dharmadasa of the Foreign Ministry also participated in the meetings.

Foreign Ministry
Colombo

22 January 2021

During a farewell call on Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on 12 January 2021, the Ambassador of Viet Nam in Colombo, Pham ThiBich Ngoc endorsed that Sri Lanka and Viet Nam have immense potential for cooperation in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

The Ambassador stated that Vietnam can share their best practices, knowledge and technology transfer, in particular.  Minister Gunawardena emphasized areas such as the canning industry, especially fish canning, fish feed production which are areas that Viet Nam can offer assistance to Sri Lanka.

 Ambassador Pham ThiBich Ngoc further said that such collaboration in the fisheries sector will no doubt contribute in uplifting rural fishing, and fish farming in Batticaloa and Mullaithivu.  Discussing further on agricultural sector cooperation, the Ambassador underscored that there is much potential in coffee, pepper and rubber, where Viet Nam can provide know how for cultivation.  They both agreed that in order to advance trade relations between the two countries, it is important to pursue a Preferential Trade Agreement.

Minister Gunawardena emphasized the importance of strengthening ties in areas of tourism, democracy and education cooperation. Moreover, the Minister referred to close connections that Sri Lanka had with the great leader of Viet Nam Ho Chi Minh and Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, Foreign Minister of the Revolutionary Government of Vietnam who worked closely with Sri Lanka in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).  The Minister highlighted the importance of partnership in amity in international platforms to overcome national security threats.  The Ambassador of Viet Nam expressed their fullest support for Sri Lanka’s bid for Sectoral Dialogue Partnership status in ASEAN.

Sri Lanka and Vietnam celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2020.  Vietnam and Sri Lanka have enjoyed deep rooted friendly relations for centuries.  This relationship is based on cultural and historical similarities and most importantly the common heritage of Buddhism as a strong binding thread between the people of the two countries.  The historical records indicate that Buddhism was introduced to South of Vietnam around the 17th century and it is believed that Sri Lankan priests contributed towards the establishment of Theravada Buddhism in Southern Vietnam.

In 2014, Sri Lanka issued a stamp to mark President Ho Chi Minh’s 124th birthday.  Sri Lanka also unveiled the bust of President Ho Chi Minh at the Colombo Public Library on 23 November 2013, signifying the importance of bilateral ties.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

13 January 2021