Lithuania’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vidmantas Verbickas, recently discussed their foreign and security policy in changing geopolitical environment at the University of Colombo. Lithuania is a staunch backer of Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia

Verbickas was here, recently, for the first political consultations between the two countries and to promore digital cooperation. Marking 30 years of diplomatic relations, the visit establisheed a framework for regular dialogue and opened opportunities in technology, education, trade and professional exchange, the Lithuanian mission said.

At the University of Colombo, Vice-Minister Verbickas met Vice Chancellor Professor Indika Mahesh Karunathilake and delivered a lecture on Lithuania’s foreign and security policy in a changing geopolitical context.

The mission said: “Students, faculty, experts and journalists participated in the exchange, gaining insight into Lithuania’s perspective on the evolving international security environment. The engagement strengthened direct contact with Sri Lanka’s academic community and encouraged a wider understanding of the two countries’ interests and experiences. Closer academic relations could create new pathways for Sri Lankan students, researchers and professionals to connect with Lithuanian universities, research institutions and industries. Academic exchanges, joint research, postgraduate education and professional training are promising areas for future collaboration. Developing these opportunities will require continued engagement between the relevant institutions, building on the contacts established during the visit.”

Chaminda Kularatne, Senior Attorney-at-Law, interdicted Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary-General of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, recently participated in the UNAM–IPSA RC08 International Workshop, “Parliaments in the Global South: Challenges and Transformations,” held in Mexico City, on 6–7 October 2026, where he presented his research on parliamentary democracy and legislative governance in Sri Lanka.

Kularatne has challenged his interdiction in the Court of Appeal.

Invited by the organisers to present his research, alongside internationally recognised academics and parliamentary scholars, Kularatne participated in his personal capacity as a PhD researcher at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

His research paper, “Executive Dominance and Legislative Constraints: The Transformation of Parliamentary Law-Making in Sri Lanka,” was presented on 06 October during the panel on “Representation and Executive Power.” The paper examined executive influence over parliamentary law-making, institutional constraints on legislative independence and the need to strengthen parliamentary accountability.

The workshop was organised by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), one of Latin America’s largest universities, in collaboration with Research Committee 08 of the International Political Science Association (IPSA). According to the organisers, the event brought together more than 100 participants from 36 countries.

Kularatne was among the invited presenters and panel participants at the workshop, alongside distinguished international academics, including Professor Irina Khmelko of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, United States; Professor Emma Crewe of SOAS University of London, United Kingdom; and Professor Khemvirg Puente Martínez of UNAM, Mexico. The workshop provided valuable opportunities for international academic exchanges on parliamentary democracy and comparative legislative systems.

Kularatne has also been granted associate membership of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), one of the world’s leading international academic organisations in political science, further facilitating international academic collaboration and professional engagement.

A significant highlight of Kularatne’s visit was his engagement with both chambers of the Mexican Congress, one of Latin America’s major legislative institutions.

On 07 October, he visited the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Mexican Congress, where he met senior parliamentary representatives and officials, including Alfonso Ramírez, a deputy leader in the Congress, and Hugo Rosas, Chief Clerk.

During the visit, Kularatne and the accompanying international academic delegation received a distinguished parliamentary welcome. They were invited into the parliamentary chamber during an ongoing sitting and were formally acknowledged and warmly welcomed by the President of the Chamber of Deputies.

The delegation also met representatives of both governing and opposition political parties, exchanging views on legislative procedures, parliamentary administration and democratic governance.

Kularatne described the occasion as an unprecedented experience for a Sri Lankan particularly the formal recognition extended inside the Mexican parliamentary chamber during a sitting. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen professional and academic connections between Sri Lanka and Mexico.

On 08 October, Kularatne also visited the Senate of Mexico, the upper house of the Mexican Congress, where he met Dr. Arturo Garita, Secretary-General for Parliamentary Services. Their discussions focused on parliamentary administration, legislative procedures and comparative parliamentary practices.

Kularatne is a Senior Attorney-at-Law with over 20 years of legal experience and a senior public servant with more than two decades of experience in parliamentary administration, diplomatic affairs and government service. He has held several senior positions in the Parliament of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka High Commission in London, the Presidential Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office and other key government institutions.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management from the University of Colombo.

He is currently pursuing doctoral research at the University of Colombo on strengthening parliamentary democracy through private members’ legislation in Sri Lanka, with comparative reference to the United Kingdom and India. His research is supervised by Professor Nishantha Sampath Punchihewa, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, and Professor Sanath Wijesinghe of the Department of Legal Studies, the Open University of Sri Lanka.

Kularatne is currently under interdiction from his position as Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary-General of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He has challenged the interdiction before the Court of Appeal. According to his petition filed before the Court, he maintains that the interdiction arose from a personal dispute with the Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. The case is scheduled to be taken up for support before the Court of Appeal on 15 October 2026.

…alleged perpetrator takes his own life

Jaffna police are investigating the killing of a 32-year-old woman by a youth who later committed suicide at Ariyalai. The incidents happened on Monday (05)

Police identified the victim as Ann Laksha Ignatius, mother of one girl, while the alleged perpetrator was named as Devadas Pukalarasan, 23, a resident of Sivapuram in Paranthan, Kilinochchi.

A senior police official said that both worked at a Jaffna hotel. Investigations revealed that the youth stabbed his colleague, and her mother, at their Jaffna home, situated on Kovil Road, Jaffna, before fleeing the scene, Monday night, and took his own life.

Neighbours rushed the wounded mother to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital where she was recovering, Jaffna based sources said.