It has been decided to establish a BIMSTEC technology transfer facility in Sri Lanka by entering into a Host Country Agreement at the second leaders’ summit of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) held in New Delhi, India, in 2008, with the objective of enhancing regional cooperation.

The relevant cooperation agreement was signed by the member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC summit on 30-03-2022 in Colombo.
The prime objective of this technology transfer facility is to provide technology, capacity building, and management of intellectual property for the micro, small, and medium-scale
enterprises of the BIMSTEC member countries.

According to the cooperation agreement, an agreement should be entered into between Sri Lanka, as the host country, and  BIMSTEC  Secretariat for formalizing the legal status, privileges, and immunities of the technology transfer facility.

The drafted agreement has received the relevant institutional approval and legal clearance.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Science and Technology to sign the proposed agreement.

Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 11-12-2023 to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka regarding mutual cooperation
in criminal matters.

However, according to the aforementioned approval, the relevant agreement could not be signed between both parties.

Through this agreement, opportunities will be provided
for mutual assistance to other countries in handing over judicial documents and collecting evidence for the use of criminal case matters.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution provided by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate in criminal matters.

Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance No. 3 of 1897 is the principle law that regulates the prevention of the spread of communicable diseases and the implementation of quarantine measures.

However, at present, it has been observed that the risk of spreading communicable diseases across borders have significantly increased due to  considerable increase in the
international and domestic movement of persons, goods, and services and frequent international travel and trade have led communicable diseases spread rapidly between countries.

Accordingly, although cabinet approval was granted in the 2016 to amend the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance No. 3 of 1897, the relevant amendment bills have not been  presented to Parliament.

Therefore, as per the proposal made by the Minister of Health and Mass Media, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the appointment of a Review Committee to study the amendment bill that has been prepared  and propose suitable amendments to meet the current health challenges as well as challenges that may arise in the future, taking into consideration the experience obtained during the epidemic situations that have occurred in the past.