News

RW to participate in India-hosted Voice of Global South Summit

Published

1 year ago

January 7, 2023

editor

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will be among 20 world leaders who will participate in the “Voice of the Global South Summit” (VGSS) next week hosted by India virtually.

The summit will take place on January 12 and January 13 and will be chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Other than leaders from the neighbourhood, leaders from five countries from Africa (Angola, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Senegal), three countries from the ASEAN grouping (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam) will be present, along with leaders of Uzbekistan, Mongolia, UAE, Papua New Guinea.

Remember, Senegal’s Macky Sall is the head of the African Union while Thailand is the chair of BIMSTEC grouping. The summit will have 10 sessions, with the opening and closing leaders’ session chaired by PM Modi and the remaining eight at the ministerial level.

The ministerial sessions will be at Finance, Environment, Foreign, Energy, Health, Education, and Trade levels. The theme of the Inaugural Leaders’ session is “Voice of Global South – for Human-Centric Development” and that of the Concluding Leaders’ session is “Unity of Voice-Unity of Purpose”.

Four sessions would be held on 12th January, and six sessions on 13th January. All in all, New Delhi has extended invites to 120 countries.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra in a presser on Friday said that the summit will “bring together countries of the global south and share perspectives and priorities” amid Covid pandemic fallout, global price rise when it comes to food, fuel, fertilisers due to Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The summit feeds into the G20 Summit which India will be hosting later this year in September. The foreign secretary highlighted, “The valuable inputs generated from the partner countries receive due cognizance globally and India’s ongoing Presidency of the G20 provides us with a special and strong opportunity to channelise these inputs into the deliberation and discourse of G20.”

India took over the Presidency of the grouping on December 1, 2022, and will host the summit for the first time since the emergence of the grouping after the 2008 financial crisis.

(dailymirror)

News

Royal pardon for 44 Sri Lankans in UAE

Published

17 mins ago

May 3, 2024

nipuni

Forty four Sri Lankans who were in different prisons across the United Arab Emirates have been pardoned by a Royal order.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates has formally conveyed to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi that these Sri Lankan prisoners received pardon by the Royal order on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, April 2024.

These forty four Sri Lankans who have received the Royal pardon will be repatriated to Sri Lanka by the Government of the United Arab Emirates in due course. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi will collaboratively coordinate with the United Arab Emirates Government authorities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka to ensure their safe repatriation.

Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi Udaya Indrarathne wishes to extend his deep appreciation to the Government of the United Arab Emirates, and its Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior for making arrangements to pardon these Sri Lankans. The Embassy of Sri Lanka appreciates the empathy and generosity shown by the leadership of the UAE in this regard.

(MFASL)

News

Weather advisory for high waves issued

Published

25 mins ago

May 3, 2024

nipuni

The sea areas along the coast extending from Kalpitiya to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle, and Hambantota may see a rise in the swell waves today (3) approximately 2.5 m – 3.0 m height and wave period around 12s-16s, according to the Department of Meteorology.

Nearshore water areas off the coast that stretch from Kalpitiya to Matara to Galle and Colombo are likely to see surges as a result of swell waves.

Choppy seas are expected in offshore areas extending from Kalpitiya to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle and Hambantota.

It is recommended that the fishing and naval communities exercise caution when conducting their operations in the above-water regions and were further requested to be on alert on future forecasts released by the Met. Department.