A Parliamentary delegation, comprising 20 Members of Parliament, and four officials, of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, led by Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathna, Deputy Minister of Mass Media, is in China to participate in a workshop for Members of Parliament of Sri Lanka being held in Beijing and Guangdong.

The programme has been organised by the International Cooperation Centre of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, from 26th May to 5th June, 2026.

The delegation arrived in Beijing, on 25 May, and commenced official engagements on 26th May, with the Opening Ceremony of the Workshop held at the Fenghui Centre in Beijing, Parliament said.

Japanese Ambassador in Colombo Akio Isomata yesterday (27) signed a grant contract for a demining project under the scheme of “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)”, with Kevin Klerx, Head of Support Services of the Mines Advisory Group(MAG), Ms. Hannah Picton, Programme Manager of the Hazardous Area Life-support Organization(The HALO Trust) and Ananda Chandrasiri, Director/ Programme Manager of the Delvon Assistance for Social Harmony (DASH).

The text of the Japanese embassy press release: “The Government of Japan has provided USD 1,343,202 (approx. Rs. 400million) for these projects, which will be implemented by MAG, The HALO Trust and DASH, to support their humanitarian demining activities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. Under this new project, almost 400,000 m2 of land is expected to be made mine-free, allowing more than 3,100 people to return to their land and approx. 22,000 people in the surrounding areas to expand their economic activities.

Japan has been a major donor to demining activities in Sri Lanka since 2002, and the total assistance amounts to over USD 49 million.”

The statement quoted Isomata as having said that: “Today’s signing of three (3) grant contracts is another testament to Japan’s commitment to continued assistance to the people of Sri Lanka, especially to those in the conflict-affected areas. At the same time, we also have to strengthen assistance to the affected communities for the enhancement of livelihoods and improvement of necessary infrastructure, in order to help the people of the communities to move on to the next stage of socio-economic development in the North and East in a seamless manner. I hope Japan’s continued assistance to the demining efforts of Sri Lanka will further strengthen the strong bond of trust and friendship that exists between Japan and Sri Lanka.”

A delegation from the Clingendael Institute in the Netherlands recently visited the Pathfinder Foundation’s headquarters at Riverpoint, Peliyagoda, to discuss with Milinda Moragoda, Founder of the Pathfinder Foundation, and representatives of the Foundation.

The delegation was accompanied by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka, Iwan Rutjens. Discussions focused on developments in the Indian Ocean region, including maritime security, trade routes, logistics, and regional connectivity. The meeting also examined the Netherlands’ role as a major European logistics hub and how elements of the Dutch experience could provide useful insights for Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthen its position as a maritime and logistics hub in South Asia. Opportunities for cooperation between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands in these areas were also discussed.

The Clingendael Institute, based in The Hague, is a leading Dutch think tank specializing in international relations, diplomacy, and strategic affairs. Present from the Netherlands side: Ms. Rosaline Lantink – Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute, Mr. Tobias Koster – Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute, Mr. Namal Perera – Senior Policy Advisor, Embassy of the Netherlands. Dr. Daya Silva, Executive Director, and Mohammad Jawad, Director, represent the Pathfinder Foundation for the discussions.