News
BASL President calls for better briefing of Lankan delegates at global forums
President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka Rajeev Amarasuriya has called for better preparation and support for Sri Lanka’s representatives participating in international forums, following remarks made by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.
In a Facebook post, Amarasuriya, who was present at the venue during the panel discussion, said he hoped lessons would be drawn from the incident and that Sri Lankan representatives would be better briefed and supported when appearing on major global platforms.
The following is the full text of BASL President’s facebook post:
“I sincerely hope that lessons are drawn from this moment, and that in the future our representatives are better prepared and supported, particularly when speaking on global platforms of such significance.
“I was present in the hall at the Raisina Dialogue when Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath made his remarks during the panel discussion on The Future of the Indian Ocean.
“Very often, Ministers are not necessarily experts in foreign relations or foreign policy. One cannot fault them for that. However, it is the responsibility of the Foreign Ministry and our diplomatic missions to properly brief and prepare the country’s representatives for all possible questions and scenarios.
“In this instance, I believe it was entirely foreseeable that the question regarding the two Iranian vessels would be raised — particularly with Palki Sharma moderating the discussion.
“A carefully calibrated response could easily have been given. For example, the Minister could simply have said that Sri Lanka maintains friendly relations with all these nations, and that our decisions will always be guided by law, principle, and what is in the best interests of the country.
“Such a response would have resonated well with the audience — a hall of over 600 influential leaders, policymakers, diplomats, and analysts from across the world.
“I sincerely hope that lessons are drawn from this moment, and that in the future our representatives are better prepared and supported, particularly when speaking on global platforms of such significance.”
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to appoint Ms. P. M. Jayadeera (Engineer) in the Special Grade of Sri Lanka Engineering Service serving at present as the Additional Secretary (Water Resources Development) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to the post of Director General which will be vacant from 06.10.2026.
Approval has been granted at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 08.06.2026 to prepare a draft bill for restructuring Sri Lanka Cricket.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated Sri Lanka draft bill providing legal provisions for the administration of Sri
Lanka Cricket, control, regulation, promotion, establishment of Sri Lanka Cricket for the development and administration, through the concepts of better governance, integrity, transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and providing equal opportunities for the betterment of the cricket sport, establishment of Sri Lanka Cricket for securing the wellbeing of all participants and securing cricket from corruption and other mal practices.
Clearance of the Attorney General has been received for the said draft bill. Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been received for the resolution furnished by the Minister of
Youth Affairs and Sports to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
The Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation performs vitally important functions such as minimizing the risk of inundation in urban and lowland areas, maintaining drainage systems efficiently, carrying out urgent operations during inundation events, and maintaining canals.
The need to strengthen the capacity of the corporation’s internal
operations has been identified by the corporation to perform the aforementioned functions efficiently and expeditiously.
The corporation has planned to purchase small -scale machinery that can be used to clean small canals, which significantly contribute to urban inundation.
The General Treasury has agreed to grant 625 million rupees as an equity contribution for purchasing the relevant machinery.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution submitted by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to purchase the relevant machinery by the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation, following formal procurement procedures at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,233
million, utilizing the aforementioned amount granted by the General Treasury and the funds of the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation.
Ms. P. M. Jayadeera (Engineer) appointed Director General of Irrigation
Sri Lanka Cricket Draft Bill to be gazetted
Cabinet approves purchase of machinery for the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation
Cabinet approval for Project to Build Secure, Skilled, and Empowered Community for families resettled at the at Kalinga Mawatha, housing scheme
Appointment of Cabinet Sub-Committee for the Organization of 79th Independence Day Commemoration
Establishment of New Management Framework for the Dr. Nevil Fernando Hospital
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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