Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

The Minister of External Affairs, Professor G. L. Peiris on Tuesday, 4^th November, met the Heads of Mission and Representatives of the main proponents of the Investigation on Sri Lanka by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the High Commissioner of Australia. The Deputy Country Director of the UNDP also participated representing the UN system. 

Read more: MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

The Sri Lanka Government is currently in the process of making all the necessary arrangements for the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis I to the island. 

The visit is taking place following an invitation extended to Pope Francis by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Last month, the President and First Lady Shiranthi Wickremasinghe Rajapaksa travelled to the Vatican where they received an audience with His Holiness and personally extended the invitation to visit Sri Lanka. 

Read more: Government Finalising Arrangements for Pope’s Visit to Sri Lanka

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was signed by Finance Ministers or their authorized Representatives of the 21 prospective Founding Member countries on 24 October 2014 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.  Following the Signing Ceremony, the delegates met with the Chinese President Xi Jinping.  Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to China, Ranjith Uyangoda signed the MoU on behalf of Sri Lanka. 

Read more: Sri Lanka signs MoU on the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing

Government to care for surviving children 

A special cabinet meeting will be chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss the Mihiriyabedda landslide that killed scores of people and destroyed more than hundred houses, and large number of persons still missing. This was announced in Parliament by Chief Whip, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

Describing this as the worst natural disaster in recent times, he said President Rajapaksa has instructed officials to take full responsibility for orphaned children. He visited the site of landslide this morning and will issue a statement on future action soon.

Read more: Special cabinet meeting to discuss landslide tragedy

President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited landslide affected Miriyabedda area in Haldummulla at 9.30 this morning (October 30). He visited the landslide affected area with Minister of Disaster Management, Mahinda Amaraweera and discussed rescue and relief operations.

President Rajapaksa expressed his sympathies to the landslide victims and bereaved families in Haldummulla of Badulla District.

Read more: President visits landslide affected area

The Catholic Church yesterday confirmed that the Pope Francis will visit Sri Lanka from January 13-15 as scheduled.

The Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith presiding at the Presbyterian meeting of the Archdiocese of Colombo held Monday 27th October 2014 at the Archbishop’s House, confirmed the visit of Pope Francis to Sri Lanka on 13th & 14th January 2015.

Read more: Pope's visit to Sri Lanka confirmed

More than 500 soldiers of the Army 11 Division were deployed in the rescue operations at the site of a massive landslide in Koslanda, Haldummulla that buried a string of line rooms along with some 200 to 300 people just after dawn yesterday (Oct. 29).

According to Police, over 70 line rooms went under the rubble in one of the most damaging landslides in the natural disaster prone Badulla District. As this was being written, nine bodies had so far been recovered from under the mounds of mud and rubble.

Read more: Govt takes swift measures for rescue and relief in Haldummulla landslide