Agreement signed to re-establish Peace Corps programme in Sri Lanka

A new bilateral agreement to re-establish a Peace Corps programme in Sri Lanka was signed at Temple Trees recently. 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Atul Keshap, Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana and US Peace Corps acting Director Sheila Crowley on the occasion. The announcement coincided with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the US and Sri Lanka.

Acting Director of the US Peace Corps Sheila Crowley and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana signed a new bilateral agreement to re-establish a Peace Corps program in Sri Lanka. US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Atul Keshap and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe witnessed the signing at Temple Trees.

Peace Corps’ efforts in Sri Lanka will focus on English language education. Once in Sri Lanka, volunteers will undergo three months of comprehensive cultural, language and technical training before they are given their assignments to serve for two years. The first peace Corps volunteers are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka in September 2019.