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Lankan Ambassador presents credentials to Prince Albert II of Monaco

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Ambassador Manisha Gunasekera meeting Prince Albert II at the Salon des Glaces, Prince’s Palace in Monaco

The Ambassador of Sri Lanka Manisha Gunasekera presented her Letters of Credence to Prince Albert II of the Principality of Monaco at the Salon des Glaces, Prince’s Palace in Monaco on 17 October 2024.

The formal Presentation of Credentials was followed by a meeting with Prince Albert II in which the Ambassador conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to the Prince of Monaco. Reciprocating the sentiments, Prince Albert II conveyed his warm greetings to President Dissanayake, as well as his felicitations on the latter’s recent election as President with a decisive mandate from the people of Sri Lanka. The meeting entailed discussion on areas of shared interest between Sri Lanka and Monaco, with a focus on cooperation in multilateral fora, i.e. ocean conservation, environmental protection and sustainable development.

Reference was made to the work of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation which is dedicated to the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development on a global scale.  Recalling the visit of Prince Albert to Sri Lanka in March 2005 in his capacity as the then Hereditary Prince of Monaco, the Ambassador expressed Sri Lanka’s deep appreciation for the support extended by the Monégasque Principality following the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and its continued support towards the socio-economic development of Sri Lanka. The discussion also focussed on means of further strengthening trade, investment and tourism ties between Sri Lanka and the Principality.  The Credentials ceremony was preceded by a Guard of Honour.

The Director of Diplomatic and Consular Relations Mme. Marie Catherine Caruso-Ravera representing the Monagesque Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation hosted a lunch in honour of the four Ambassadors who presented Credentials. The lunch was followed by a brief bilateral meeting by the Ambassador with Director Caruso-Ravera where areas of synergy in the bilateral partnership as well as future cooperation were discussed.

The Ambassador also met with the Secretary-General of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Dr. Mathias Jonas on 17 October in his Office. Secretary-General Jonas apprised the Ambassador on the work carried out by IHO, which is headquartered in Monaco, in surveying and charting the world’s seas, oceans and navigable waters, thereby supporting safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment.



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President and representatives of IMF discuss progress of EFF

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A comprehensive discussion regarding the progress of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) took place on Thursday (06) at the Presidential Secretariat, between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and the IMF delegation.

The current government has already reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF on the third review regarding the extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of USD3 billion.

The details of this review are expected to be presented to the International Monetary Fund’s Board of Directors by the end of this month. In this regard, discussions were held regarding the progress and the government’s involvement in continuing the program moving forward.

Once the approval is granted by the IMF Executive Board, Sri Lanka is expected to release the fourth tranche of the extended loan, amounting to 333 million dollars.

The discussion was also attended by IMF Executive Director Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian, Alternate Executive Director Dr. P. K. G. Harischandra, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwadana, and Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.

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New Commanders of the Tri-Forces meet the President

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The newly appointed Commander of the Tri-Forces met with Commander-in-Chief, President Anura Kumara Disanayake on Thursday (6th)  afternoon  at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting was attended by Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo, the new Army Commander; Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, the new Navy Commander and Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe, the new Air Force Commander.

Following tradition, the new commanders formally met with the President after assuming their duties. During the meeting, they also presented the President with a commemorative token.

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Musk reveals ‘crazy waste’ of USAID funds in Sri Lanka

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Elon Musk

USD 7.9 mn spent on teaching Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”

USAID has spent $7.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”, Elon Musk who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said in a post on X on Thursday.

Musk called it a “Crazy waste of your tax money!”

Musk’s criticism came with a detailed breakdown of USAID’s spending across various countries, which he argued reflects misguided priorities. According to a document Musk shared, USAID has funded a range of projects globally, including $20 million for a new Sesame Street show in Iraq, $4.5 million to “combat disinformation” in Kazakhstan, and $6 million to transform digital spaces to reflect feminist democratic principles.

The list also included $1.5 million for art projects promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities and $2 million for sex changes and LGBT activism in Guatemala. $10 million worth of USAID-funded meals, allegedly ended up in the hands of an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group, the document states.

Other USAID programmes include $25 million for Deloitte to promote green transportation in Georgia, $6 million for tourism development in Egypt, and $2.5 million to foster inclusion in Vietnam. The documents also pointed to $5 million awarded to EcoHealth Alliance, a group linked to bat virus research at the Wuhan lab, and $20 million for an organisation tied to what Musk described as a “key player” in the Russiagate impeachment inquiry.

Further funds were allocated for various LGBT-related initiatives worldwide, including $5.5 million for LGBT activism in Uganda, $6.3 million for men who have sex with men in South Africa, $3.9 million for LGBT causes in the western Balkans, and $6 million for advancing LGBT issues globally. Additionally, $2 million was allocated to promote LGBT equality through entrepreneurship in Latin America, while $1.5 million was designated for LGBT advocacy in Jamaica.

The data also highlighted spending closer to home, with $1.2 million going to help the African Methodist Episcopal Church Service and Development Agency in Washington, D.C., build a 440-seat auditorium. A further $1.3 million was provided to Arab and Jewish photographers, while $1.1 million supported an Armenian LGBT group.

Musk criticised other expenditures as well, including $3.9 million for artisanal gold mining in the Amazon and $500,000 aimed at solving sectarian violence in Israel just days before the October 7 Hamas attack.

Attention was also drawn to USAID’s $150 billion “whole-of-agency” climate strategy, which outlines efforts to build an “equitable world” while pursuing net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

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