(UTV|COLOMBO) – The Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday (01) for a four-day official visit. This is her first visit to the country since she assumed the Office of Secretary-General in April, 2016.
The Secretary-General is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tilak Marapana today.
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 & 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.
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