Statement made by Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka at the 44th Annual Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 on 12 November 2020
44th Annual Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77
Intervention by Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Foreign Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka at the Interactive Dialogue on Major Priority Issues and the Global Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Obstacles it poses to the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Achievement of the SDGs
12 November 2020
Hon. Chairman
Excellencies
Distinguished delegates
As a founding member of the Group of 77, Sri Lanka is pleased to participate at the 44th Annual Meeting of Foreign Ministers. The theme of this year’s session is timely given the unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The strong mandate given by the people of Sri Lanka to His Excellency the President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, at the presidential election in November last year and at the general election earlier this year, for his Vision for Prosperity & Splendour gives us confidence to commit ourselves further to the goals of the G-77. For over half a century the G77 has provided a platform for developing countries to articulate and promote their collective interests and negotiating capacity, on all the major international economic issues within the UN system and to promote South-South cooperation for development. It has a significant role to play in the current context, driven by the spirit of solidarity of the Global South.
