News
First EgyptAir Cargo flight arrives and departs with 188 tons of Sri Lankan products
The very first flights of EgyptAir Cargo, the national freighter of Egypt, arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport last week and departed with a total of 188 tons of Sri Lankan products to export destinations worldwide, benefiting from the broad global network of EgyptAir.
Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Colombo Hussein El Saha said that this long-awaited event was considered an inaugural step towards establishing a regular air transport route between Egypt and Sri Lanka, which would broaden the horizons for bilateral trade between the two friendly countries, and through them to the markets beyond. He praised the efforts of both Sunil Adikaram, General Manager Sales and Operations of Forwardair Aviation, the Cargo General Sales Agent of EgyptAir in Sri Lanka and his efficient team and EgyptAir Cargo team in Cairo to attain this significant achievement. El Saharty revealed that feasibility studies were now being carried on by both sides to consider several options for establishing a regular transit cargo route for EgyptAir either through BIA or MRIA, benefiting from the growing facilities in both hubs.
“Bilateral trade values between Egypt and Sri Lanka averaged USD 50 million annually in the last few years. Even during recent COVID-19 lockdowns, exporters, trade authorities and diplomatic mission in both countries worked hard to facilitate the regular and smooth flow of trade, resulting in Sri Lanka being able to export a total of 738 tons of its products to Egypt during the two months of April and May 2020, including 264 tons of Ceylon tea, 208 tons of desiccated coconut, 26 tons of cocoa powder, 234 tons of rubber products, and seven tons of PPEs. Similarly, Egyptian products, especially citrus fruits, have been smoothly exported to Sri Lanka during the same period. Huge trade potential was still to be explored and untapped”, he said.
The first bilateral agreement between Egypt and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) for the operation of regular flights was signed in 1950 in London, while the first trade and payments agreement was concluded in 1954 in Cairo. Another updated air transport agreement was signed in 2005. Colombo and Cairo have been connected through direct regular flights operated by Air Ceylon from the late 1940s until the late 1970s, while EgyptAir has operated intermittently between both capitals during subsequent years. The future holds immense opportunities for enhancing trade and connections between both countries.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to relocate the Deniyaya Base Hospital after constructing a new hospital with a capacity of 300 beds at an estimated cost of Rupees 6,000 million.
The Southern Provincial Department of Health has acquired a plot of land in Handford estate which is approximately 03 kilometres away from the town for this purpose.
News
Cabinet nod to legally empower methodology for implementing the ‘Praja Shakthi’ poverty alleviation national movement
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the resolution furnished by the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft a bill to legally empower the implementation of ‘Praja Shakthi’ (Strength of the Community) poverty alleviation national movement
…preliminary work started on new Constitution
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva yesterday (17) maintained that the NPP government was not under Indian pressure to hold the long delayed Provincial Council elections.
The top JVP official said so appearing on Sirasa Pathikada, anchored by Asoka Dias. Tilvin Silva said that neither the devolution nor terrorism issues had been discussed during his meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor, in New Delhi. This was Tilvin Silva’s first visit to India.
Declaring that politics hadn’t been on the agenda, the JVPer said that the Indian focus was entirely on economic development and technology.
The JVP General Secretary visited India under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations’ (ICCR) Distinguished Visitors Programme from 5-12 February 2026. General Secretary Silva was accompanied by Kitnan Selvaraj, MP, Ilankumaran Karunanathan, MP, JVP Central Committee Member Janaka Adhikari, JVP’s Media Unit Head Hemathilaka Gamage and Member of JVP’s International Relations Department Kalpana Madhubhashini. The delegation visited New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram.
Responding to another query, Tilvin Silva said that Dr. S. Jaishankar had reiterated that India would always remain a true and trusted partner for Sri Lanka, in accordance with its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and Vision ‘MAHASAGAR.’
Referring to the second JVP insurrection in the late 1980s, the JVPer claimed that they had not been against India but responded to the actions of the then Indian government.
Sri Lanka enacted the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in the wake of the Indo-Lanka peace accord of July 1987 to pave the way for Provincial Councils.
Tilvin Silva said that since they came to power, Indo-Sri Lanka relations had changed. “India has realised we could work together,” he said.
The JVP official said that preliminary work was underway, regarding the formulation of a new Constitution. The abolition of executive presidency and creation of an Office of President sans executive powers, too, would be addressed, he said, adding that the strengthening of the legislature was the other issue at hand.
Pointing out that the NPP had 2/3 majority in Parliament and could introduce a new Constitution on their own, Tilvin Silva said that they intended to obtain views of all and study the past processes in a bid to secure consensus. The JVP, as the party that campaigned against the introduction of executive presidency, way back in 1978, would lead the current effort to do away with the existing Constitution, he said.
Tilvin promised that they would implement what was in their manifesto.
The interviewer also raised the issue of abolishing the pensions for ex-Presidents. Tilvin Silva said that the Supreme Court, too, had approved the move to abolish pensions to ex-MPs. Therefore there was no issue with that, however, the ex-Presidents pensions couldn’t be done away with as they were made through the Constitution. That would be addressed when the government introduced a new Constitution in consultation with other stakeholders.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
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