News

On the invitation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, His Holiness Pope Francis will pay a State Visit to Sri Lanka from 13^th to 15^th January 2015. The Government and people of Sri Lanka are looking forward to warmly welcoming His Holiness and his delegation. 

All arrangements for the visit are in place and the required constructions are progressing on schedule including the altar at Galle Face Green where the Special Mass and the canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz, which will take place on Wednesday 14^thJanuary. 

Read more: State Visit to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a vibrant tradition of democratic practice since 1931 and has been conducting elections at regular intervals, in a peaceful and orderly manner, while the electorate has continued to cast their vote freely, in large numbers. 

Domestic elections are not for foreign government representatives to be prescriptive about, that too, a few days ahead of the polls. It is therefore surprising that the EU Heads of Mission in Colombo should have resorted to a press statement on an issue of a strictly domestic nature. Such an initiative could bring into question the bona-fides and objectivity of their intervention. 

The Elections Commissioner, who is an independent authority, has been mandated by the statutory powers vested in him, with the task of conducting free and fair elections. 

Ministry of External Affairs

Colombo

2nd January 2015

On the instructions of His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York successfully negotiated a Resolution which was adopted by consensus on 29^th December 2014, whereby the United Nations General Assembly acknowledged the significance of the Day of Vesak observed in many member countries. It invited the United Nations bodies at Headquarters and other duty stations where observed, to avoid holding meetings on that Day. To this end, the Resolution also encourages this arrangement to be taken into account when formulating future calendars of conferences and meetings. 

Read more: UN to avoid holding meetings on the Day of Vesak

Sri Lanka welcomes the announcements made by the leaders of the United States of America and Cuba, of a rapprochement between the two countries, thereby ending decades’ long estrangement and paving the way for the renewal of diplomatic ties. The release and exchange of prisoners is a concrete step towards a new era of US-Cuba relations which marks a turning point in the history of the two nations.

Read more: Statement on US-Cuba rapprochement

I am pleased to send this message on this National Safety Day commemoration. 

Our country had to suffer much due to natural disasters in recent years. In every such incident the government's ability to minimize the disruption of people's lives is a great achievement. 

As a political leader who witnessed the tsunami tragedy and from that instance was engaged in rehabilitation efforts, I am aware of the magnitude of the tsunami disaster and the complexity of the restoration efforts. Our aim was to restore all, other than human lives sadly lost in the tragedy. Therefore, the ability to build new houses for the affected people and resettling them, restoring infrastructure and livelihoods as well as enhancing the welfare, economy and the living standards of children, women and youth is a significant achievement reached by us during the past ten years. 

Read more: Message from HE the President for the National Safety Day