Commonwealth Secretary-General to visit Sri Lanka this week

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) – Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland QC will arrive in Sri Lanka on Wednesday, 01 August for a four-day official visit, the Foreign Ministry said.

This will be her first visit to the country since she assumed the Office of Secretary-General in April 2016.

On 01 August, the Secretary-General will call on Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tilak Marapana.

Her meetings on 02 and 03 August will include the Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama, the Minister of Provincial Councils, Local Government and Sports Faiszer Musthapha, the Minister of Youth Affairs, Project Management and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayake, the Minister of Public Administration & Management and Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and the Leader of Opposition R. Sampanthan.

The main objective of the Secretary-General’s meetings will be to explore greater cooperation and collaboration in the implementation of the agreed outcomes at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, including promoting intra-Commonwealth trade.

Discussions will also include the implementation of the ‘Commonwealth Blue Charter’, under which Sri Lanka holds the role of a champion country to lead the Commonwealth effort towards the restoration of mangroves.