Statement made by Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka at the United Nations General Assembly: High-level meeting on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (BEIJING+25) on 01st October 2020
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary General,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ayubowan!
I am deeply honoured to represent the people of Sri Lanka at this High-Level Summit on Biodiversity.
The concept of biodiversity must be at the very core of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Despite the rapid decline seen in biodiversity globally, over the recent decades, Sri Lanka is deeply committed to uphold the overarching spirit of the Convention on Biodiversity.
There is a critical need for a transformational change in the relationship between nature and people and contemporary global environmental governance.
Virtual Bilateral Summit between Prime Minister of Sri Lanka H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister of India H.E. Shri Narendra Modi
Joint Press Statement
Mitratva Magga - Path of Friendship: Towards Growth and Prosperity
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister of India, H.E. Narendra Modi held a Virtual Summit today in which they discussed bilateral relations and regional & international issues of mutual concern.
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena led the Sri Lankan delegation to the informal meeting of the Council of Ministers of the eight-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on 24 September 2020. The annual event, which traditionally takes place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, was convened in virtual mode this year amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka and India are scheduled to have a Virtual Bilateral Summit on Saturday, 26 September 2020.
On the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had a telephone conversation with the newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on 06 August 2020, both leaders agreed to review the multifaceted bilateral relationship through the scheduled Virtual Summit.
The Summit level interaction is expected to focus on the full gamut of bilateral engagement inter-alia political, economic, finance, development, defence and security spheres, educational, tourism and cultural as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Relevant subject Ministers and Senior Officials of both countries will associate the leaders at the Summit.
This is the first Virtual Summit level interaction by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa with a foreign leader since assuming premiership last month.
Foreign Ministry
Colombo
23 September 2020