President Ranil Wickremesinghe has engaged in discussions with several foreign dignitaries on the side-lines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York yesterday (20).
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss vital economic matters.
During the meeting, Ms. Georgieva and President Wickremesinghe delved into the ongoing financial sector reforms and the substantial progress made in debt restructuring initiatives. The IMF Managing Director commended the Sri Lankan government for its effective measures in curbing inflation and nurturing a conducive environment for business growth, as well as the flourishing tourism industry. She expressed her satisfaction with the government’s commitment to enhancing the overall economic landscape.
In a significant diplomatic meeting, Baroness Patricia Scotland, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, engaged in a productive discussion with President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The discussions between President Wickremesinghe and Secretary General Scotland revolved around crucial aspects of the ongoing cooperation between Sri Lanka and the Commonwealth Secretariat. They also delved into the implementation of decisions made by leaders during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held last year in Rwanda. A key focal point of their exchange was the pressing issue of climate change and the challenges associated with climate financing, especially for developing nations. Secretary General Scotland also briefed President Wickremesinghe on the progress of the Marlborough House Dialogue, an initiative aimed at engaging with the Diaspora community. This dialogue seeks to foster connections and collaboration with Sri Lanka’s global Diaspora for mutual benefit.
Also, President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during which he referred to the longstanding close cooperation with Iran and the mutual support extended by both countries to each other over the years.
President Wickremesinghe conveyed appreciation for the assistance during the recent economic crisis. President Raisi stated that both countries need to build on their traditional friendship by identifying new pathways to further expand cooperation. He stated that there is potential to increase economic cooperation and proposed early convening of the Joint Economic Commission. The prospects for cooperation in the agriculture sector, particularly introducing modern technology in which area Iran has considerable expertise, was also discussed. The two leaders recognized that as countries belonging to the same region there is potential for regional cooperation in a range of areas of mutual interest including as members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). The President referred to the cooperation with Iran in the power and energy sector particularly the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project.
In this context, President Wickremesinghe extended an invitation to President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Sri Lanka and ceremonially open the Uma Oya Hydro Power Station. President Raisi accepted the invitation and also extended an invitation to President Wickremesinghe to visit Iran. Both leaders agreed that these high level visits would give impetus to further consolidate bilateral ties.
Meanwhile, Malaysia has extended a formal invitation to the President for a state visit to the country. An official invitation for President Ranil Wickremesinghe to undertake a State Visit has been extended by His Majesty, the King of Malaysia.
The President has graciously accepted this invitation and has expressed his intent to schedule the visit during the early months of the upcoming year, specifically in either January or February.
The King’s invitation was personally conveyed by the Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during bilateral discussions during which the Malaysian Prime Minister expressed a strong desire to bolster economic ties between the two nations. He emphasised Malaysia’s eagerness to facilitate increased investments from Malaysian companies in Sri Lanka. In a promising move, the Malaysian Prime Minister also expressed positivity towards Sri Lanka’s request to commence negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, which could potentially open up new avenues for trade and economic cooperation. Furthermore, it was revealed that the Malaysian Foreign Minister is set to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meeting in Colombo next month, underscoring Malaysia’s commitment to regional cooperation and engagement. In a gesture of solidarity and collaboration, Malaysia has agreed to support Sri Lanka’s application to become a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a major regional trade agreement. (NewsWire)
