Sri Lanka has appointed two Honorary Consuls in Georgia in a move aimed at strengthening its diplomatic and consular presence in the country while promoting bilateral trade, tourism and assistance to Sri Lankan nationals.

According to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Ankara, Nino Makhviladze has been appointed Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, while Mikheil Dzadzamia has been appointed Honorary Consul in Batumi.

Makhviladze’s consular jurisdiction covers Tbilisi, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Shida Kartli.

Dzadzamia’s jurisdiction covers the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Guria, Imereti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and Samtskhe-Javakheti.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Georgia, resident in Türkiye, Niluka Kadurugamuwa, handed over the Commissions of Appointment to the two Honorary Consuls at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Ankara on September 22.

Prior to handing over the appointments, Ambassador Kadurugamuwa briefed the two officials on their responsibilities and Sri Lanka’s expectations regarding their role in strengthening relations between Sri Lanka and Georgia and safeguarding the interests of Sri Lankans in the country.

The Sri Lankan government said the appointments are expected to strengthen the country’s representation and consular outreach in Georgia while providing fresh impetus to bilateral relations.

Honorary Consuls serve on a voluntary basis without remuneration from the Sri Lankan government and complement the work of the country’s diplomatic missions through their professional networks and local knowledge.

Their responsibilities include promoting Sri Lanka’s economic and tourism interests, strengthening bilateral relations and assisting Sri Lankan nationals overseas.

Georgia is currently home to a Sri Lankan student community of around 400, the majority of whom are pursuing medical studies.

The Sri Lankan government also expressed appreciation for the cooperation and goodwill extended by the Georgian government in accepting the nominations of the two Honorary Consuls. (Newswire)

The post Sri Lanka appoints two Honorary Consuls in Georgia appeared first on Newswire.

The US state of Georgia and its House of Representatives recently passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry, becoming the first American state to bring forth such a measure. 

The resolution, introduced by Representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones from Forsyth County in the suburbs of Atlanta, stated that Hinduism is one of the world’s largest and oldest religions, having over 1.2 billion followers. 

“Hinduphobia, as described by the Understanding Hinduphobia Initiative, is “a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviours towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as prejudice, fear, or hatred.”

The resolution attempted to build upon a report by Rutgers University published last year that stated that there had been a noticeable increase in anti-Hindu disinformation.  

“In July 2022, a report released by Rutgers University titled “Anti-Hindu Disinformation: A Case Study of Hinduphobia on Social Media” detailed how hate messages in social media translate into real life threats for people of the Hindu faith,” read the resolution. 

In the Rutgers report, it was noted that “white supremacist and 4chan genocidal Pepe memes about Hindus” were “being shared prolifically within extremist Islamist web networks on messaging service Telegram and elsewhere.”

The resolution added that Hinduphobia and its related instances were being ‘exacerbated’ by some in academia who supported dismantling of Hinduism whilst propagating the belief that the sacred texts and cultural practices within the religion were based on violence and oppression. 

The recent spate of attacks on Hindu temples across the world have raised serious question marks over the safety of Hindus. From Canada to Australia, numerous incidents of vandalism of Hindu temples have been recorded since the beginning of the year. 

According to the Hindu advocacy group Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), Forsyth County is home to one of the largest Hindu and Indian-American diaspora communities in the state.

“We urged for their help in combating such bigotry which advances hatred and creates the idea that Hindus and people of Indian-origin need special laws and monitoring due to allegations around some inherent propensity to discriminate,” said CoHNA General Secretary Shobha Swamy. (WION)

The post Georgia becomes first American state to condemn Hinduphobia, passes resolution appeared first on Newswire.