A cross-party delegation of UK parliamentarians concluded a 5-day official visit to Sri Lanka last week (25), having participated in workshops alongside members of the Sri Lanka parliament, and engaged with local stakeholders in civil society, business and education.
According to the British High Commission in Colombo, the visit focused on deepening parliamentary co-operation and shared learning between the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka.
The visit, facilitated by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch (CPA UK) and Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), saw the delegation engage in cross-party knowledge-sharing sessions with members of the Sri Lankan Parliament. These exchanges focused on legislative affairs and allowed newly elected MPs from both parliaments to share experience and expertise, strengthening democratic practices and parliamentary governance through mutual learning between both sets of parliamentarians.
The programme also included a call on Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, where government priorities were discussed and the UK’s and Sri Lanka’s shared heritage of parliamentary democracy was reaffirmed.
During the visit, British High Commissioner Andrew Patrick hosted a reception at Westminster House, celebrating the growing ties between the two Parliaments. The event was attended by a range of dignitaries, including the guest of honour, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rizvie Salih.
Noting the significance of the visit, British High Commissioner Andrew Patrick said: “I am grateful to the UK Parliamentary delegation for their visit, and to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Westminster Foundation for Democracy for facilitating this important exchange. The visit presents an opportunity for us to reaffirm the enduring strength of the UK–Sri Lanka relationship, which is founded on a deep-rooted parliamentary tradition that continues to shape the democratic institutions of our nations. We are proud to play a part in supporting dialogue and democratic exchange to further strengthen ties, benefiting both the UK and Sri Lanka.”
The 5-day programme included engagements with civil society and Sri Lanka’s Chevening alumni. The delegation also toured the British Council’s Colombo office, the Presidential Secretariat, and paid their respects at the Liveramentu Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery (CWGC).
The British High Commission states this visit demonstrates the UK’s continued support for democratic development and interparliamentary collaboration within the Commonwealth through shared knowledge and mutual learning. (Newswire)
