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Sri Lankan High Commissioner-designate to India Milinda Moragoda assumes duties in New Delhi
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, September 2: Sri Lankan High Commissioner-designate to India Milinda Moragoda assumed duties in New Delhi on August 30 at a simple ceremony. He arrived here with his wife Jennifer last weekend.
Moragoda is the island-nation’s 26th High Commissioner to India since 1942, when its first representative had arrived here.
He met with India’s Chief of Protocol Nagesh Singh on August 31, and handed over the open copies of his credentials as per the practice. He will present his credentials to President Ram Nath Kovind at a formal ceremony in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the next few days.
He visited the Buddhist Temple at New Delhi Centre of the Mahabodhi Society of India, and received the blessings of its Joint Secretary Ven. R. Sumiththananda Thero. He offered flowers and incense to the Buddha statue.
After religious rites, he had a discussion with the monk on as to how the High Commission of Sri Lanka and the Mahabodhi Society can work together to advance Buddhist relations between the two countries. He inquired after the wellbeing of the Sri Lankan Buddhist monks engaging in missionary work in India. He was accompanied by Mission officials.
On September 1, Moragoda called on the dean of the diplomatic corps, the Ambassador of Eritrea Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam.
On September 2, Moragoda visited the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple in New Delhi. He was accorded a very warm welcome by the Chief Priest of the Temple Sadhu Gnanamunidas. He was given a special tour of the sprawling temple premises.
He performed the Abhishek rite by pouring water on the statue of Shri Swaminarayan at the temple, and had a discussion with the Chief Priest. He was accompanied by his wife and Mission Officials.
Chief of Staff to the President and National Security Advisor (NSA) Sagala Ratnayaka led the Sri Lanka delegation to the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier Security Summit held in Singapore from 2 – 4 June 2023.
The highly anticipated summit commenced on 2 June with a powerful Keynote address delivered by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Throughout the event, a series of plenary sessions delved into various crucial geo-political issues, encompassing the establishment of a stable and balanced Asia Pacific, the resolution of regional tensions, the evolution of maritime security in Asia, US leadership in the Indo-Pacific, and China’s latest security initiatives, among other topics.
During the Special Session focusing on ‘Defence Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region,’ Ratnayaka delivered an impactful statement, participating alongside representatives from India, Oman, France, and the United States. He emphasized the significance of keeping big power rivalries and external conflicts out of the Indian Ocean, highlighting Sri Lanka’s efforts in the United Nations to declare the region as a zone of peace. Furthermore, he underscored the country’s contributions to preserving freedom of navigation and over flight, stressing the crucial need for constructive dialogue among all stakeholders in the Indian Ocean region to pursue shared interests.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal raised by the Minister of Health to reduce the maximum retail price of 60 medicines by 16% with effect from 15.06.2023 and review the price of medicines every three months
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