News

Sri Lanka to head Indian Ocean body for two years

Published

1 year ago

October 15, 2023

editor

Sri Lanka is to assume the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) next Wednesday following a high-level meeting of the Council. More than a dozen member states, represented by both foreign ministers and senior ministerial delegations, will attend the meeting.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry will chair the Council when the current chair, Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen, hands over the chairmanship.

Foreign ministers or senior ministers of IORA members and Dialogue Partners will arrive in Sri Lanka next week for the 23rd IORA Council of Ministers, which Sri Lanka is hosting on Wednesday in Colombo.

The Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo will see the participation of sixteen Ministers. They include Bangladesh Foreign Ministers of A.K. Abdul Momen, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Maneesh Gobin (Mauritius), Dato Seri Diraja Zambry Abdul Kadir (Malaysia) and Dr (Mrs) Naledi Pandor of South Africa.

Also attending will be ministers and senior-level officials from Australia, Comoros, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, the Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, the Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (member countries). Dialouge Partners China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America will also be represented.

The Council of Ministers is the highest decision-making body of IORA.

The Council will be preceded by the 25th meeting of the Committee of IORA Senior Officials (October 9–10), which will be chaired by Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane.

The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), established in 1997, is an intergovernmental organisation of states on the rim of the Indian Ocean. Its membership spans Africa, West Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania.

IORA’s membership has expanded to 23 states and 11 dialogue partners. Sri Lanka will assume the chairmanship of IORA from 2023 to 2025 at the 23rd Council of Ministers’ Meeting.

The ministers will deliberate on ways to cooperate in the six priority areas identified by the association. They include trade and investment; maritime safety and security; fisheries management; disaster risk management; and the blue economy, among others, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

They will be guided by recommendations to be made by the 25th Committee of IORA Senior Officials.

The visiting ministers will also make a collective call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe and hold bilateral discussions with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and other ministers during their stay in Sri Lanka, according to the ministry.

(dailymirror.lk)

News

Agreement signed with Sinopec to construct oil refinery in H’tota (Video)

Published

2 hours ago

January 16, 2025

editor

During President Anura Kumara Disanayake’s four-day state visit to China, Sri Lanka marked a significant milestone by securing the largest foreign direct investment to date. This significant achievement was formalized this morning (16) with the signing of an agreement between Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Energy and Sinopec, a leading Chinese international petroleum corporation.

Under this $3.7 billion investment, a state-of-the-art oil refinery with a capacity of 200,000 barrels will be constructed in the Hambantota region. A substantial portion of the refinery’s output is planned for export, further enhancing the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

This major investment from China is expected to bolster Sri Lanka’s economic growth while uplifting the livelihoods of low-income communities in the Hambantota area. Moreover, the benefits of this project are anticipated to positively impact the overall Sri Lankan population in the near future.

The signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labour and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake and Director General of Government Information H. S. K. J. Bandara, alongside other dignitaries.

(President’s Media Division)

News

Two gunned down near Mannar Court

Published

4 hours ago

January 16, 2025

editor

Two persons have been killed in a shooting incident in front of the Mannar Court around 9.20 a.m. today (Jan. 16).

Two more who were injured, have been admitted to the Mannar Hospital for treatment.

According to reports, the shooting was carried out by two assailants on a motorcycle.

News

President attends “Invest in Sri Lanka” session (Pics)

Published

4 hours ago

January 16, 2025

editor

President Anura Kumara Disanayake, who is currently on a four-day state visit to China, participated in the “Invest in Sri Lanka – Round Table Meeting 2025” held today (Jan. 16), the President’s Media Division states.

The event was organized by both public and private sector entities with the aim of promoting investment opportunities in Sri Lanka.The session was attended by a number of prominent Chinese companies, including China Tianying Inc. (CNTY), China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd., China Communications Construction Company Ltd., China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC Group), Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd., China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), China Energy International Group Company Ltd., and The Guangzhou Public Transport Group, among others, the PMD adds.

President Disanayake also engaged in cordial discussions with the leadership of these corporations.

The forum was attended by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism – Vijitha Herath, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation – Bimal Rathnayake, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka – Qi Zhenhong and Sri Lankan Ambassador to China – Majintha Jayesinghe, among others.