Sri Lankan Premier to Address UN General Assembly

22nd eptember 2009, firstlanka.com

Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka who is leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, commencing today will address the General Assembly on September 26 regarding the “Strengthening of Multilateralism and Dialogue among Civilizations for International Peace, Security and Development.” He will also meet United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

During his visit he will also address the Asia Society in New York on the theme “Sri Lanka’s Challenges ahead: Post LTTE Scenario and Ensuring Sustainable Peace.” The Prime Minister will participate at the High Level Event on Climate Change and the 4th Summit of the Heads of States/Governments of the Group of 15 (G 15) where Sri Lanka assumes the Chair.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama will lead the Sri Lanka delegation to the Commonwealth Meetings of the Foreign Ministers, and on Terrorism, and the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG). He will also participate in the interactive Ministerial Meeting on Combating Violence Against Girls, Ministerial Meetings of the SAARC, the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), Group of 77 (G 77) and the Group of 11.

Minister Bogollagama is also scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with his South Asian counterparts from Bhutan, India and the Maldives, and also from South Africa, Fiji, Denmark, Jordan, Australia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Chile, Austria, Oman, UK, France, Sweden, Czech Republic, Cuba and Spain.

He will also meet High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Secretary General of the Council of the European Union Javiar Solana, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma.

In Minister Bogollagama’s interactions with the United Nations, he is scheduled to meet with the Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe, Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Sir John Holmes, Under Secretary General and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy and the Executive Director General of the UNICEF Ann Veneman.

Iran Extends Credit Facility for Oil to Sri Lanka by Another Year

21st September 2009, www.news.lk

The Iranian Government has extended by another year the four month interest free credit facility to Sri Lanka originally granted following President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Iran in November 2007.

Consequent to talks with Iranian President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian Government granted the facility beginning January 2008 and ending on August 31, 2009.

In 2008 alone, Sri Lanka imported crude oil under this facility to the tune of US$ 1.05 billion (Rs.110,550 million) nearly all of its requirements, helping release the pressure on the island’s foreign exchange requirements in a year of significance for the Government’s war with the LTTE. Treasury circles have acknowledged this as a substantial rolling facility that helped ward off any financial crisis, last year.

An additional three month credit package at a concessionary rate of interest was also accommodated in Sri Lanka’s favour if the country needed further time. Further to the discussions, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Iran M.M. Zuhair had with the Iranian authorities on the instructions of President Rajapaksa, the National Iranian Oil Co. under the oil Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran has extended by another year the special facility on the same terms as earlier.

Finance Ministry Secretary Sumith Abeysinghe, and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Chairman Major General A.B. Thoradeniya coordinated with Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Tehran. Meanwhile, former Iranian Commerce Minister Mir Kazemi, has been appointed as the new Petroleum Minister.

Mir Kazemi was the Minister in attendance when President Rajapaksa visited Iran. He also accompanied President Ahmadinejad, when the latter visited Sri Lanka in May 2008 on the invitation of President Rajapaksa and inaugurated the Uma Oya Hydro Power and Irrigation Project - the US$ 450 Million project, 85 percent of which is funded by Iran.

During that visit, President Ahmadinejad formally inaugurated the US$1.47 billion Sapugaskanda Refinery Expansion and modernization Project, 70 percent of which has been committed to be financed by Iran.

Thinnaveli Agriculture Research School, Jaffna to be Upgraded

21st September 2009, www.dailynews.lk, By Lakshmi de Silva

Thinnaveli Agriculture Research School, Jaffna, Sri lanka, is to be rebuilt and upgraded to a high level with Indian agriculture expertise and exchanging bio-technology and the other modern agricultural methods with assistance from Tamil Nadu experts, Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Minister Hemakumara Nanayakkara said at his Ministry yesterday when he met visiting Indian agriculture experts.

India has done a lot of research in agriculture and it was beneficial for both countries to share the expertise and especially to help our people in the North and East who had suffered during the past 32 years. Farm mechanics, appropriate technology, soil management, bio technology and other agricultural know-how in Tamil Nadu should come to Sri Lanka, the Minister said.

The Indian delegation including Vice Chancellor University of Agricultural Science Banglore Dr. P.G. Chengappa, Vice Chancellor Tamil Nadu University Dr. P. Murugesa Boopathi, Representative from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute Dr. K. Vijayaragavan and Indian High Commission First Secretary B. Shyam said they were willing to help the agriculture development with IDPs in the North and East and to start their livelihood in agriculture sector by providing seeds and assistance after assessing the situation.

First Secretary Indian High Commission B.Shyam said India was assisting in the revival of agriculture in the North and East so that the people of those areas could benefit by it.

Minister Nanayakkara said in the 2000 home garden projects under the food production drive in Sri Lanka the best home gardens were those cultivated by women.

Profits through investments in Sri Lanka will be three fold - Singaporean investor, Managing Director of Bloomberg, Roman Scot

20th September 2009, firstlanka.com

Profits through investments in Sri Lanka will be three fold. There is no dispute in the island’. This confident claim has been made by Singaporean investor, Managing Director of Bloomberg, Roman Scot during an interview with a TV Channel in Singapore.

In response to a query as to why he was encouraged to investing in Sri Lanka, he said the country’s GDP stood at 6.6 percent despite a war environment. He hope that it would reach nine percent with the return of total peace to the country. As such, anyone can increase earnings three fold through investments in the island, Scot opined.

Questioned on the canards carried out by pro-terrorist supporters overseas on Sri Lanka,Scot in response said any person visiting Sri Lanka will be able to understand the reality. ‘Everyone should work according to their conscience’,Scot shot back in conviction.

‘There are no problems in Sri Lanka. Companies in the island face a dearth in the capital. And, he emphasised that if they invest in those companies, they could increase their earnings two to three fold. No one in Sri Lanka wants another war. Even the Tamils in the country wished to lead better lives, having a vehicle and a property and house of their own. They do not encounter other problems’ Scot noted clearing all doubts.

France to Fund a Saline Production Plant in Sri Lanka

20th September 2009, firstlanka.com

A saline production plant is to be established in Sri Lanka with the objective of fulfilling the local requirements. France will extend financial aid amounting to 6.4 million euros.

The Ministry of Finance and Planning said the proposed plant will help to save around 2.5 million US dollars, spent annually to import saline. The government of France has also agreed to provide concessionary credit of 9.5 million euros for an oxygen concentrator project. This will enhance the current capacity of the production of oxygen.

Jaffna Grapes Reaching the Colombo Market, Sri Lanka

19th September 2009, firstlanka.com

The cultivation of grapes is taking place in the North at a major scale under the “Uthuru Wasanthaya” Task Force with the supervision of Senior Presidential Advisor and Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa and the guidance of the President to boost the cultivator. The yields are not only released to markets in the North but also to the South.

Grapes were destroyed during the LTTE era as the cultivators could not sell their produce. With the opening of A-9 road, a prosperous era has dawned to the farmers.

The land in the Jaffna Peninsula is fertile for the cultivation of grapes while the climate is also suitable for this exercise. Cultivators as well as traders experienced many difficulties in the past due to LTTE threats. As a result, many gave up the cultivation.

However, the farmers have now taken to the cultivation of grapes on a major scale.

Grapes stocks are also reaching the Colombo Market. A kilo of grapes in the Jaffna market fetches 200 rupees.

TAFE South Australia (TAFESA) to Offer Training Courses in Sri Lanka

19th September 2009, firstlanka.com

Internationally recognized post secondary (High School) education system known as the ‘TAFE system’ which comprises job oriented training courses for youth conducted by the TAFE South Australia (TAFESA) will offer several training courses for Sri Lankans in collaboration with the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training.

Accordingly demand driven courses in Hairdressing, Bakery, Commercial Cookery, Management and Construction, Healthcare and Nursing, Construction Industry related disciplines are introduced here in Sri Lanka through the recent affiliation between the TAFESA and TAFESL established under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP).

Courses will be offered that range from Certificate to Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels. TAFESA is a part of the ‘vocational education and training’ network, which ensures that learners are able to gain the skills required by employers.

The programs combine on and off the job elements to ensure the workplace relevancy of the qualifications in maintained. This combination of practical knowledge and skills give TAFE graduates the distinct advantage which helps them to gain employment in the competitive global marketplace.