News
Mangala warns Govt.
By Chaminda Silva
Former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday said that Sri Lanka couldn’t afford to act like North Korea, Venezuela or Eritrea in responding to UN resolutions after it had voluntarily become a signatory to all human rights conventions, passed at the UN over the years.
Addressing the media at Pitakotte, the former minister said that the incumbent government should place its trust in diplomacy without being confrontational. “That is step number one, because diplomacy can help you find all kinds of solutions. If you are going to accuse those who criticise you as your enemies, Sri Lanka is not going anywhere. Sri Lanka has voluntarily become a signatory to all human rights conventions passed at the UN and other entities over the years and therefore, now it can’t be acting like North Korea, Venezuela or Eretria.”
Samaraweera said Sri Lanka was a country which had always dealt with the world in equal terms. “The world loves us. Even in those four years, because once we started dealing with them, they were willing to go out of their way to help us. In fact, even at this moment when Sri Lanka’s economy is in doldrums and maybe falling towards the abyss, I think our foreign relations are more important than ever.”.
Responding to criticisms that the former yahapalana government had failed to take substantial measures to implement pledges made in the 30/1 Resolution, Samaraweera said they took several measures had to be adopted step by step to achieve reconciliation.
“We brought the Office on Missing Persons Bill. When it was presented in Parliament, the government MPs and ministers had to protect me from the then opposition MPs. We set up the OMP. In the 2019 final budget, we allocated funds for an allowance to be paid for the families of the missing persons. The Reparations Office was set up. The Cabinet paper on a Truth Commission was completed, but it got delayed due to President Maithripala Sirisena’s various requests.”said.
Samaraweera said the UN could not impose sanctions on Sri Lanka based on the resolution but individual countries could. “I always say that regardless of the decision making at the top level, the common citizens should not be oppressed. I request any country not to impose such sanctions that would affect the citizens.”
The National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC), which is being established under the Presidential Secretariat with the aim of removing administrative and regulatory barriers that exist among government institutions in relation to investment and industry and expediting these processes, will be opened tomorrow (22).
The centre is being established on the President’s initiative with the aim of bringing about a positive transformation in the industrial sector. The centre will provide solutions to issues that arise in dealing with the government machinery when starting and operating a business, while also coordinating with the relevant government institutions to provide the necessary facilities.
The “ViYASA” National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) has been established at Building C-80, Hector Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Colombo 07, and is headed by Senior Additional( Secretary to the President, Seevali Arukgoda.
The centre will be opened under the patronage of Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando and Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, with the participation of Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The website https://nbfc.presidentsoffice.gov.lk is also scheduled to be officially launched on the occasion.
President’s Media Division)
Latest News
Court of Appeal Judge M. Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea appointed as Acting President of the Court of Appeal
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Court of Appeal Judge Mayadunna Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.
The appointment has been made as President’s Counsel Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, will be overseas until the 24th.
Accordingly Judge Mayadunna Corea was sworn in as Acting President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential secretariat this morning (21).
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the occasion.
(President’s Media Division)
Latest News
President instructs expediting further measures concerning Sivarasa Anojan, sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia
A discussion to review the further measures that could be taken regarding Sivarasa Anojan, a young Sri Lankan national who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, was held at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (21), under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The discussion focused on the measures taken to date concerning Sivaraasa Anojan and the further diplomatic and legal steps that could be pursued. Attention was also given to expediting the necessary further measures that could be taken to secure his release.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake instructed officials to continue the necessary diplomatic engagement with the relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia and to maintain close and continuous involvement in all further measures concerning the case.
Reaffirming the Government’s continued attention to the safety and welfare of Sri Lankans living and working overseas, the President also stressed the need for the relevant ministries and institutions to work in close coordination and pursue all possible measures that could be taken in connection with the case.
Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffer, Governor of the Western Province Hanif Yusoof, Secretary – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Aruni Ranaraja, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism were also present at the discussion.
(President’s Media Division)
“ViYASA” National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) to be opened tomorrow (22)
Court of Appeal Judge M. Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea appointed as Acting President of the Court of Appeal
President instructs expediting further measures concerning Sivarasa Anojan, sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia
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