Minister of Energy, Kumara Jayakody, has been elected as the President of the Sri Lanka – Saudi Arabia Parliamentary Friendship Association for the Tenth Parliament of Sri Lanka.
At the revival meeting of the Association held in Parliament recently (07), MP Thushari Jayasinghe was elected as the Secretary of the Association
The meeting was held under the patronage of the Speaker, Jagath Wickramaratne, while the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka, Khalid Hamoud Nasser Alkahtani, attended the event as the Guest of Honour, which was also attended by several Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, and the Secretary General of Parliament.
Addressing the gathering, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne highlighted the enduring diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, noting that Saudi Arabia has been a vital partner in Sri Lanka’s development journey.
He commended Saudi Arabia’s significant contributions to the projects in water, energy, health, law, and education through the Saudi Fund for Development, which have positively impacted the lives of Sri Lankans. The Speaker also recognized the recent agreement with the Saudi Fund for Development as a key milestone in Sri Lanka’s external debt restructuring process.
Also addressing the meeting, Ambassador Khalid Hamoud Nasser Alkahtani underscored the decades-long ties between Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka, rooted in mutual respect and productive cooperation in areas including politics, economics, and culture. He observed that in recent years, the partnership between the two nations has grown stronger and emphasized that the Parliamentary Friendship Association will serve as a bridge for enhanced parliamentary dialogue and cooperation.
The newly elected President, Minister Kumara Jayakody, pledged to strengthen bilateral relations further, focusing on education, trade, infrastructure, and tourism. He emphasized the role of the Association as a platform for fostering mutual understanding, people-to-people connections, and legislative dialogue between the two countries.
Delivering the vote of thanks, MP Thushari Jayasinghe expressed her appreciation to the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka for his presence and continued commitment to fostering strong ties between the two nations. She also conveyed her gratitude to the Speaker for his leadership in promoting dialogue and friendship between Sri Lanka and its international partners.
As part of his visit to Parliament, the Saudi Ambassador also held discussions with Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, focusing on avenues to enhance cooperation and reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s support for Sri Lanka.
He also paid courtesy calls on Deputy Speaker, Rizvie Salih, and Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Ratnayake. These meetings explored new opportunities for collaboration across multiple sectors, further reinforcing the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. (Newswire)
