Regional Consular Office of Foreign Ministry opened in Jaffna

The first ever Regional Consular Office of  Ministry of Foreign Affairs was declared open today in the premises of Jaffna District Secretariat. 

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Leader of the Opposition R. Sampanthan, the Governor of the Northern Province Reginald Cooray, Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs D. Swaminathan, Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, and State Minister of Child and Women Affairs Vijayakala Maheshwaran participated in the opening ceremony.
 
The Regional Office will provide a range of consular services to the public that were previously provided only through the Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo.

Services provided by the Regional Office will range from attestation of birth, marriage and death certificates as well as educational certificates for their use abroad; extending assistance to family members of Sri Lankans who may be stranded abroad; facilitation of redress and compensation claims of families of migrant workers; and repatriation of human remains from abroad. This Regional Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is open for public from Monday to Friday from 8:30a.m to 4:15 p.m.

Pix by N.Lohathayalan