News
Early convening of Lanka-Indonesia Joint Commission discussed
Govt. wants to build on ex-Prez Sirisena’s initiative
Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and Indonesian Ambassador in Colombo Dewi Gustina Tobing recently discussed the early convening of the third session of the Joint Commission between the two countries to be held in Colombo and the need to follow up and build on the visit of President Joko Widodo to Sri Lanka to deepen and broaden economic collaboration, and the need to harness the untapped potential, in the bilateral economic sphere.
President Widodo visited Sri Lanka in late January 2018 on the invitation of the then President Maithripala Sirisena.
The Indonesian Ambassador met Prof Peiris on January 24 at the Ministry. Ambassador Tobing presented her credentials to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Dec 21, 2021.
The following is the text of the FM statement: “Prof. G.L. Peiris highlighted that Sri Lanka and Indonesia shared many common interests and goals, founded on long standing historical and cultural ties that predated the formal establishment of relations between the two countries in 1952. The Minister made these remarks at a meeting when, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Sri Lanka Dewi Gustina Tobing called on the Foreign Minister at the Foreign Ministry, on Monday 24 January 2022.
The Minister recalled warmly meeting his counterpart Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in 2021 and also meeting Indonesian President Joko Widodo, at the COP26 and even before his inauguration, noting the excellent warm relations between the two countries. Minister Peiris underscored that both countries shared global priorities in the international arena, dating to their membership of the Non-Alignment Movement and shared outlook on socio-economic development and international relations, including environment, climate change and sustainable development. He emphasised the importance of the development of the Indian Ocean and the Indo- Pacific region and briefed on Sri Lanka’s chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and playing a leading role as Blue Charter Champion in the Commonwealth and its work on issues such as Mangrove conservation and spearheading the campaign for Sustainable Nitrogen Management.
The Foreign Minister and the Ambassador expressed interest to further expand cooperation, in a wide range of areas such as close cooperation in the United Nations and international fora, and supporting each other’s candidatures as well as to enhance trade, investment and tourism. They underscored the importance of initiating not just high-level interaction of their leaders, but increasing people-to-people contacts and forging links with business, trade and tourism, particularly to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Indonesia that would be marked in August 2022.
Foreign Minister Peiris noted that it would be most appropriate to celebrate the anniversary of relations with a visit from his counterpart, and extended a warm invitation to the Foreign Minister of Indonesia to visit Sri Lanka.
Minister Peiris apprised the Ambassador of Sri Lanka’s progress in reconciliation and the protection and promotion of human rights and socio-economic development of its people and engagement with the United Nations, but was opposed to the selective singling out of countries by some UN mechanisms, that were unwarranted and intrusive. He stated that Sri Lanka was giving priority to economic diplomacy and increasing opportunities to expand trade and investment, particularly in the post pandemic world and both sides could share their experiences.
The Ambassador looked forward to enhance relations between the two countries and noted the potential for close collaboration and partnerships in trade, investment and tourism and noted the interest of some Indonesian Industry, to look at possible projects in Sri Lanka, as well as closer ties with the business community and Chambers of Commerce, as well as possible events and activities to raise more awareness on relations and areas to bolster cooperation for their mutual benefit.
Foreign Minister Peiris also noted significant possibilities in defence cooperation, including combating illicit drug trafficking and sharing of intelligence and underlined the importance of close interactions between maritime agencies, National Anti-Narcotic agencies, and counter terrorism, highlighting that approximately 60,000 ships passed through the Indian Ocean annually and about one third of the world’s oil also passed through the region.
They looked forward to use the momentum of the 70th anniversary to strengthen relations between the two countries for their mutual benefit, including high level visits later in the year.”
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
