Canadian Foreign Minister to visit Sri Lanka after 13 years

The Foreign Minister of Canada Stéphane Dion will arrive in Sri Lanka tomorrow evening on an official visit after thirteen years, Foreign Affairs ministry said.
 
This bilateral official visit to Sri Lanka by a Foreign Minister of Canada takes place after 13 years, and within less than a year since the formation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Government.
 
Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion will hold bilateral discussions with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on Thursday afternoon July 28, at the Foreign Ministry, following which, both Ministers will address the media.
 
Minister Dion will call on President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Leader of the Opposition R. Sampanthan on July 28. He will also meet the Minister of National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages, Mano Ganesan, on the same day, in connection with support extended by Canada for the National Languages Equality Advancement Project (NLEAP).
 
On Friday 29 July, Foreign Minister Dion will travel to Jaffna, where he will meet the Governor of the Northern Province Reginald Cooray, Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran and members of civil society. The Minister will also visit Canadian funded projects including the Jaffna Hospitality Training Centre and an Agro Economic Development Project (ADP) funded by Canada with UNDP and FAO support, relating to agro economic cooperatives in the dairy and agriculture industries.
 
Minister Dion’s visit is expected to infuse new momentum to relations between the two countries.