GL on extended foreign tour

Countries visiting

* Republic of Korea
* Singapore
* Serbia
* Jordan
* Geneva

External Affairs Minister Prof. G L Peiris left for the Republic of Korea on an official visit at the invitation of his Korean counterpart, Kim Sung-Hwan who is also the Trade Minister.

Minister Peiris will have discussions with Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwangsik and with the Speaker and members of the Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, in addition to his meeting with the Foreign Minister.

Prof. Peiris will also meet the Exim Bank chairman to discuss the renewal in 2012 of the Economic Development Co-operation Fund (EDCF), where concessionary loan assistance is provided for development projects in Sri Lanka. A meeting will also be held between Minister Peiris and the Korean International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) president which provides grant aid and technical co-operation to Sri Lanka.

Discussions will also take place with heads of reputed business support organizations in South Korea which include

the Federation of Korean Industries, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Korea International Trade Association.

En route to Korea, Minister Peiris will be in Singapore for discussions on counter terrorism and its aftermath.

Prof. Peiris is also scheduled to deliver an inaugural keynote address at an international seminar organized by Jesus College, University of Cambridge, to consider the manner in which terrorism affects the stability of countries and international financial markets.

The minister will address the official commemorative meeting to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which will be held in Belgrade, the Republic of Serbia from September 5 to 6. The meeting in Belgrade, which will also be attended by the Serbian President Boris Tadic and 36 Foreign Ministers would be a landmark meeting to revamp the Movement’s principles which were formally agreed at the Summit held in Belgrade in 1961.

Subsequently, he will visit Jordan for bilateral consultations on Sri Lanka’s post conflict situation with the King of Jordan, King Abdullah II and the Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh. Minister Peiris will later visit Geneva prior to the forthcoming sessions of the Human Rights Council, which will be held in the second half of September to engage with members of the international community.

During this preparatory visit, the minister will primarily interact with the President and member countries of the Human Rights Council, other members of the UN family, as well as representatives of civil society, on the development, resettlement, rehabilitation and reconciliation efforts currently being carried out by the government. Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe will lead Sri Lanka’s delegation to the Human Rights Council Sessions commencing September 12 and will continue the related interactions.

The ministers will be joined by Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Member of Parliament Sajin Vaas Gunawardena, together with the government officials including the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka in Geneva, Tamara Kunanayakam.