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Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry Briefs Diplomatic Corps on Sri Lanka’s Developments

In a bid to foster transparent communication and information sharing, Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry addressed the Colombo-based diplomatic corps on Wednesday, August 16, providing insights into the current developments in Sri Lanka.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that this meeting was part of a series of regular briefings organized by the Ministry to ensure that the diplomatic community remains informed about the latest developments in the country.

Minister Sabry delved into key advancements, shedding light on recent measures to stabilize the nation’s finances, efforts towards economic recovery and growth, as well as significant legislative reforms. Among these reforms were the adoption of the anti-corruption bill, proposals for a truth-seeking mechanism, and the introduction of an anti-terrorism bill.

A focal point of Minister Sabry’s briefing was the President’s statement in Parliament earlier in August concerning the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Furthermore, he provided an overview of the strides made in ongoing reconciliation initiatives and the notable work being carried out by independent mechanisms.

Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane, also addressing the gathering, outlined Sri Lanka’s active participation in multilateral platforms. She highlighted Sri Lanka’s constructive engagement in the 4th Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the examination of Sri Lanka’s Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the country’s continued involvement with the United Nations. Sri Lanka’s participation in the forthcoming 54th session of the Human Rights Council and the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023 were also underscored.

The Foreign Secretary spotlighted two significant upcoming events: the Fifth Forum of Ministers of Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific scheduled for October 3 to 6, 2023, in Colombo, and the IORA Ministerial Meeting set for October 11, 2023. During the latter event, Sri Lanka is poised to assume the chairmanship of the organization for the 2023-2025 term.

The briefing included presentations by key domestic institutions. These included Dhara Wijayatilake, Chairperson of the Office for Reparations (OR); Mahesh Katulanda, Chairperson of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP); Deepthi Lamahewa, Director General of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR); Asanga Gunawansa, Director General of the Interim Secretariat of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and V. Krishnamoorthy, Director General of the Office for Overseas Sri Lankan Affairs (OOSLA).

Additional Secretary of the Presidential Secretariat, Chandima Wickramasinghe, provided an update on the implementation of Sri Lanka’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.

The briefing saw the active participation of High Commissioners, Ambassadors from Diplomatic Missions, and representatives from the United Nations based in Colombo.

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