During the interactions, the Chief of Air Staff discussed boosting military relations between India and Sri Lanka….reports Asian Lite News
Indian Air Force Chief VR Chaudhari met Sri Lanka Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on the second day of his four-day visit to the island nation and discussed bilateral ties.
The IAF Chief also met Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva. The Indian Air Force, in its tweet on Thursday, informed about IAF Chief’s meetings with the Sri Lankan officials and wrote, “On the second day of his ongoing visit to Sri Lanka, the CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari met and interacted with the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Dinesh Gunawardena, Defence Secretary Gen (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne, CDS Gen Shavendra Silva & Cdr of SL Army Lt Gen Vikum Liyanage.”
During the interactions, the Chief of Air Staff discussed boosting military relations between India and Sri Lanka.
“During his interactions with the dignitaries and military officials, the CAS had meaningful discussions on boosting military relations between both countries. He also paid his respects to the supreme sacrifice of the Indian soldiers by laying a wreath at the #IPKF memorial,” the Indian Air Force tweeted.
As part of his ongoing visit, Indian Air Force Chief VR Chaudhari called on Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the first day of his visit on Wednesday.
During his visit, the IAF Chief also met the island nation’s State Minister of Defence, National Security Advisor as well as the Commanders of the Sri Lankan Air Force and Navy, the Indian Air Force said.
The bilateral talks between the leaders assured IAF’s steadfast commitment to Sri Lanka at all times when India is called upon.
Furthermore, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) also gave a talk at the prestigious Sri Lankan National Defence College.
The IAF Chief’s visit to Sri Lanka will enhance the existing professional ties and bonds of mutual cooperation between both Nations, the Ministry of Defence said in an official release.
IAF Chief Chaudhari is currently on a 4-day official visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Commander of Sri Lankan Air Force, Air Marshal SK Pathirana. (ANI)
The move was part of Sri Lanka’s efforts to create an investment-friendly environment in the South Asian country…reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lanka has set up 54 departments that will provide investor facilitation services under seven task forces on the directives of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, an official statement said on Wednesday.
The move was part of Sri Lanka’s efforts to create an investment-friendly environment in the South Asian country by simplifying the processes involved, reducing the time taken, and making information readily available to increase efficiency, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement issued by the President’s Media Division (PMD).
The PMD said that the task forces have been given clear deliverables.
Among the tasks are delivering key outputs such as developing a digital signature system and simplifying existing forms for company registration, and improving procedure involving land registration, required certificates, and related payments, according to the statement.
Sri Lanka has been trying to streamline its investor facilitation process to attract more foreign investment.
Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the need for all parties to come together and work towards a resolution that benefits all communities in Sri Lanka…reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe expected to reach an agreement by the end of the year on solving the ethnic issue, according to the statement released by Sri Lanka’s President’s Office.
Addressing the United National Party May Day celebrations on Monday, Wickremesinghe said that he expected to reach an agreement by the end of the year to solve the ethnic problem that has been a long-standing issue in the country. “My intention is to address the ethnic problem in the country while implementing the agreement with the International Monetary Fund. We are currently in discussions and I hope to reach a mutually agreeable solution by the end of this year. It is important for us to move forward while respecting and protecting the rights of all communities including the majority Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, and Burgher minorities without marginalizing anyone. We are all committed to achieving this goal,” President said.
With the UNP’s commitment to policies that benefit all communities in Sri Lanka, President Wickremesinghe expressed his optimism about achieving a resolution that is beneficial for everyone.
He emphasized the need for all parties to come together and work towards a resolution that benefits all communities in Sri Lanka.
In his address, President Wickremesinghe said, “After assuming the presidency, I have had the opportunity to address the United National Party and all of you who support the party.”
“When I took office as president, the country was experiencing its worst economic crisis in 30 years. The economy had completely collapsed, and people were suffering from shortages of food and fuel, leading to protests on the streets. Additionally, some individuals attempted to exploit this crisis to undermine the democratic system and the parliament,” he added.
Sri Lanka’s President said that the country’s economy can achieve stability, with no shortage of food, and a functional democratic system where the parliament operates without any threats. He further added that everyone has the opportunity to carry out their work without hindrance, according to the statement.
“Prior to assuming the presidency, I reflected on one thing: the United National Party prioritizes the welfare of the country. The United National Party is a political party that is close to my heart. In fact, in the United National Party’s 2020 election manifesto, we explicitly stated our intention to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, with a goal of securing USD 7 billion,” the island nation President said.
“As a party, we were the only ones who mentioned these critical points. On the other hand, other parties made empty promises they could not fulfil despite knowing the existence of the country’s economic problem,” he added.
The President urged all members of the United National Party to embark on this new path. During the last election, some MPs from the SJB chose to abstain from voting. All the members of UNP share the same goal of building an open economy and it is therefore to unite and work together by forming a parliament and a government, the statement read. (ANI)
During the visit, the CAS is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan President, Prime Minister…reports Asian Lite News
Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Monday embarked on a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka.
The CAS is visiting Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Commander of Sri Lankan Air Force, Air Marshal SK Pathirana, according to a release issued by the Ministry of Defence. During the visit, the CAS is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan President, Prime Minister, the State Minister of Defence, the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Commanders of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Army & Navy, and the Defence Secretary.
CAS Chaudhari, during the visit, will also interact with student officers of the National Defence College, Sri Lanka and visit the Sri Lankan Air Force Academy. The visit will enhance the existing professional ties and bonds of mutual cooperation between both Nations, according to an official release.
CAS Chaudhari on Saturday lauded the Air Force crew, which executed a daring rescue and airlift operation in the Wadi Seidna area of strife-torn Sudan.
He also assured the country that the Air Force will take up such challenging missions in the event of an emergency.
“I think the IAF displayed its core capability of being able to carry our operations in the most difficult of situations and my kudos to the aircrew who executed this mission so flawlessly. I want to assure the nation that whenever the time comes, we will do it again and again,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari told ANI.
Despite the airstrip in Sudan’s Wadi Seidna having no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft’s landing at night), the Indian Air Force and Garud Commandos carried out a daring, overnight operation to air-lift stranded Indians.
On the night of April 27, 28, 2023, the IAF C-130J aircraft rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, Sudan, the IAF said in a statement. (ANI)
Lanka President directed formation of a presidential task force comprising AI experts and prepare a concept paper to promote AI usage as done India and Singapore…reports Susitha Fernando
Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday urged IT experts in the island nation to promote Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, taking India and Sri Lanka as models.
He directed formation of a presidential task force comprising AI experts and prepare a concept paper to promote AI usage as done in the two Asian nations.
artificial intelligence.(photo:Pixabay.com)
“When it comes to artificial intelligence, we should consider Singapore and India as role models. It is true that east Asia…. South Korea, Japan, and China are making progress in artificial intelligence, but no country in West Asia has reached that stage yet,” Wickremesinghe said.
The Sri Lankan President said the country is aiming to create a digital economy and to meet the demands of the digital age, aiming to produce 10,000 engineers annually instead of present number 2, 500. He also highlighted the potential of AI in various fields, including agriculture, education, health, fisheries, and industry.
“We have identified the modernisation of agriculture and fisheries, tourism, and improvement of supply centres as urgent areas for development in our economic reforms. Additionally, we have placed a greater focus on the technology industry.”
The President noted that the current annual contribution to Sri Lanka’s gross national income through computer and information technology is around $1.9 billion, with no known amount from AI technology. He instructed officials to develop a system to track AI contributions and stressed the importance of taking prompt action to increase AI’s contribution to the gross domestic product in the coming years.
He invited the private sector to join in the effort and said that the government plans to allocate Rs one billion for AI technology next year.
Sri Lankan authorities say farmers view the roughly 3 million toque macaques in Sri Lanka as a menace because they damage crops…reports Asian Lite News
After the Sri Lankan Agriculture minister announced that the authorities are planning to export 100,000 endangered toque macaque monkeys to a private Chinese company, animal rights activists staged a protest, Voice of America reported.
The toque macaque, which is endemic to Sri Lanka, features in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of endangered animals, it is not a protected species in Sri Lanka. After the announcement, conservationists and animal rights activists warned, however, they do not believe the Chinese zoos have space for 100,000 toque macaques and that it was more likely the monkeys would be used for testing in labs.
Sri Lankan authorities say farmers view the roughly 3 million toque macaques in Sri Lanka as a menace because they damage crops.
“Toque monkeys are the foremost among the animals that cause crop damage in this country. All the efforts made by the government so far to reduce its population have failed,” Amaraweera said.
The conservationists have criticized the move, with many expressing fear the animals may be used for tests in labs, reported Voice of America.
Four conservation groups — Wildlife and Nature Protection Society, Center for Environmental Justice, Federation of Environmental Organizations, and Rally for Animal Rights and Environment Sri Lanka — said in a statement last week there are only 18 Chinese zoos fitting the “globally accepted criteria” of a zoo.
“This averages out at 5,000 macaques per zoo. This is not credible,” the statement said.
“Macaques, with their human-like qualities have been particularly popular, especially with medical testing facilities in the U.S. and Europe. The potential income from such a trade would be far greater than that from the sale of this species to zoos,” the statement continued.
The name of the Chinese company that sent the request for the toque macaques is Zhejiang Wuyu Animal Breeding Co. Ltd, and it has not issued any kind of a reply regarding the issue, according to Voice of America.
In a statement issued Wednesday, though, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka said the government agency that manages the import of wild animals in China was “unaware of the request [from China] and has not received such application from any side.”
“The Embassy has noticed recent disinformation on local and foreign media about Sri Lanka exporting “100 thousand” of “endangered” toque macaque monkeys to a Chinese private company for “experimental purpose”, as well as detailed clarifications by the Minister of Agriculture and the Cabinet Spokesperson of Sri Lanka thereafter,” the statement tweeted by the embassy
“The Embassy has also checked with relevant authorities in Beijing. The Chinese National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the main government department supervising and managing the import and export of wild animals and plants, clearly clarified that it is not aware of the request and has not received such an application from any side,” the statement added.
The Embassy also stated that as a contracting party of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), China already adopted its Wildlife Protection Law in 1988 with several amendments afterwards.
The Chinese government always attaches great importance to wildlife protection and actively fulfils international obligations, which makes China one of the top countries in the world in terms of wildlife protection legislation and law enforcement, the statement read. (ANI)
The High Commission of India in Colombo noted that the Meditation Centre will add to the facilities at the Temple and help in attracting more tourists….reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay on Sunday issued a Special Commemorative Cover for Sita Temple near Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka. They also laid the foundation stone for a Meditation Centre at the Temple.
Taking to its official Twitter handle, the High Commission of India in Colombo noted that the Meditation Centre will add to the facilities at the Temple and help in attracting more tourists. Thee High Commission of India in Colombo tweeted, “H.E Prime Minister of #SriLanka @DCRGunawardena accompanied by High Commissioner and other dignitaries issued a Special Commemorative Cover for Sita Temple near Nuwara Eliya in today. They also laid the foundation stone for a Meditation Centre at the Temple.”
It further said, “It is believed to signify the place of Ashok Vatika in the epic #ramayana. The Meditation Centre will add to the facilities at the Temple and help attract more tourists from #India and other places.”
On Saturday, two photographs of Sri Lankan origin were unveiled at the office of the Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
High Commission of Sri Lanka in India said in a statement, “Marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations, which falls this year, two photographs of Sri Lankan origin were unveiled at the office of the State Minister of External Affairs and Culture of India at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi today.”
The photographs which were unveiled feature two murals painted by the eminent Sri Lankan painter Solias Mendis in the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara.
High Commission of Sri Lanka in India in a statement said, “The first mural depicts Arahat Mahinda, delivering the message of the Buddha to King Devanampiyatissa upon arriving in Sri Lanka. The second mural depicts the arrival to Sri Lanka of Theri Sanghamitta, bearing the right-hand branch sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree.”
It further said, “These two historical events that occurred in the 3rd century BCE marked the commencement of a Buddhist civilization in Sri Lanka and epitomize the strong and unbreakable civilizational bonds that exist between Sri Lanka and India.” (ANI)
Wickremesinghe highlighted the importance of probing the development in India to find the connectivity that is going to take place between India and Sri Lanka…writes Susitha Fernando
Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickermesinghe has said that in the backdrop of India becoming the world’s most populated country while having industrialisation which is on fast track, Sri Lanka can reap the benefits, and plan to become an air and sea hub in the region.
Addressing the 30 year development plan of the Colombo North Port workshop here, Wickremesinghe highlighted the importance of probing the development in India to find the connectivity that is going to take place between India and Sri Lanka and pointed out the opportunities that India’s southern neighbour would receive.
“By 2050, India will be the most populous country in the world. From 1.4 billion, it will be up to 1.7 billion people. The industrialisation of India is happening fast, especially in some areas. You find Gujarat, Maharashtra and other one in southern India, especially in Tamil Nadu,” Wickremesinghe said on Friday.
“But this is the beginning. From there it should spread to other areas. So, industrialisation manufacturing is now taking place in India. It still has not reached the level that China reached somewhere in 2010. It still has to go there. So, if at all at some stage, it will be that the progress will be not arithmetic but geometrical progression,” Wickremesinghe stated.
“So, we will have the development in India. Then what is the connectivity that’s going to take place between India and Sri Lanka. Our closest point is in the north. Are we going to have a role in the role of ferries? Are we going to have more permanent structures? These are issues that we have to resolve and that will also determine the viability of our ports, especially of the port of Colombo. So in looking at the port there’s only two issues which came to my mind.
“Firstly, it is the environment, especially the impact on fishing that we have to take seriously. Because before you start building you have to get the support of the people in the area,” the Sri Lanka President said.
Wickremesinghe said that in its journey to make Sri Lanka a hub and a developed country within the next 25 years, the island nation has to look at the development in India and the region including Bangladesh, Iran and the entire Makran coast.
“With the Trincomalee Port, we are discussing with India on the development of the Trincomalee Port on the basis that in the next 25 years there will be vast development in the Bay of Bengal, both on the Indian side, the Bangladeshi side, Malaysia and even Myanmar.
“So we have to look at the Trincomalee Port and also its capacity to be a point for cruise tourism in the Bay of Bengal.”
He said the island nation with over 22 million has to think of the future, what we will do in the next 25 years, how we are going ahead to make this a developed country. We have to look at the developments in India, in Bangladesh, in Iran, and total, in assessing the role that Sri Lanka has to play as a hub, that is important.
“We have to remember one thing only that what is going to take place in India, what’s the development in Pakistan and what’s the development going to be in Iran. Those three will decide the capacity, the number of TUs that we can have, the number of containers, the units we have would depend on that. As it is now, people have a very bright forecast for India, and that’s possible if it can be achieved,” Ranil Wickremesinghe said.
Referring to a report on the feasibility of the north port, Wickremeisnghe also said though Pakistan is going through a financial crisis now like Sri Lanka, the country has a great capacity for development considering its population.
“If Iran goes ahead with the Chabahar Port which will join up to Central Asia and Russia, then Makran coast itself is something to look at. So these are all areas we have to think of development,” President Wickremesinghe who took over Sri Lanka while it was going through the worst ever post-independent economic crisis said.
He also stressed that to become the hub of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka should adjust with the logistic and transport changes taking place with East to West railways in Africa undertaken by China.
“Remember that the Chinese are undertaking east to west Railways in Africa together with the African nations. One which will go from Kenya all the way to West African coast and another which will most probably go through Congo. So the whole logistics and transport in the region will change and we have to take that into account and make whatever adjustments we do now to ensure that Sri Lanka becomes the hub of the Indian Ocean. We can do it, we should do it, and we did that over a thousand years ago. I am sure we make up our mind, go ahead,” Wickremesinghe reiterated.
Traditional new year celebrations were held across the country this year, far more than what was seen in 2022…..reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a fresh start as the crisis-hit island nation celebrated the traditional Sinhala and Tamil new year, which fell on Friday.
Wickremesinghe on Thursday said in a new year message that Sri Lankans took part in the traditional new year rituals in 2022 amid the worst economic crisis faced by the country, Xinhua News Agency reported.
“Last year, amid the unprecedented economic crisis which disrupted our daily lives, we partook in the new year rituals with untold hardship and were confined to a struggle in alleviating from this adversity,” he said.
Wickremesinghe said that he is gratified that 2023 has presented a salubrious environment for Sri Lankans, and therefore the country should strive to be more affluent and prosperous than today.
“We can undoubtedly achieve this aspiration by unitedly moving forward as one Sri Lankan nation. Accordingly, despite differences in political affiliation, ethnicity and religion, a fresh beginning is imperative to create a brighter future for us and our nation, in this new year,” he said.
Traditional new year celebrations were held across the country this year, far more than what was seen in 2022.
Sri Lanka is currently recovering from an economic crisis, which saw a shortage of fuel and gas, and daily power cuts in 2022.
The South Asian country got $437.5 million in remittances in January, and $407.4 million in February…reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lanka saw a significant increase in remittances so far this year with over $560 million sent back by migrant workers in March, Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara said on Friday.
Announcing the monthly remittances received, the Minister said it marked a 78.5 per cent increase from the inflows recorded in March 2022, reports Xinhua news agency.
Nanayakkara said remittances by migrant workers have increased remarkably this year.
The South Asian country got $437.5 million in remittances in January, and $407.4 million in February, Central Bank of Sri Lanka data showed.
Official figures for the 2021 and 2022 totals were $5.49 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively.
Migrant workers’ remittances are one of the main sources of foreign revenue for Sri Lanka.
