Canadian Foreign Minister to visit UNDP project site in Jaffna tomorrow

The visiting Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion and Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka  Shelley Whiting together with Peter Batchelor, UNDP Sri Lanka Resident Representative will visit a Canada funded UNDP project side in North tomorrow.

 As part of the mission, Foreign Minister and the rest of the delegation will visit a Canada-funded UNDP Project site, ‘Siddha Medicine Production Sales and Service Cooperative Society (COPHARM)’ in the Jaffna District tomorrow at 4.00 p.m.

The Canadian government, under a financial envelope of 6 Million Canadian Dollars, has partnered with two UN agencies - namely the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) - to strengthen agro economic sector in the North of Sri Lanka, under the ‘Agro-Economic Development Project’, which will benefit over 11,000 households across the Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts.

 During the visit, the high level delegation will declare open the newly constructed Siddha Medicine Production, Sales and Service Centre, a Centre which is now equipped to improve product quality and cater to the increasing demand of herbal medicinal products. The center will also include a research and library facility to provide knowledge and learning opportunities to Siddha Medicine undergraduates.

The Canadian Government continues to have a strong and longstanding partnership with the United Nations and is the third largest donor of UNDP Sri Lanka.