High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

Visiting Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. S.Jaishankar held bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Republic Building on 06 January 2021. During the cordial discussions, a gamut of issues covering multiple areas of bilateral cooperation was taken up, including economic, financial, trade and investment cooperation, cultural exchanges, defence and security, development cooperation as well as Covid 19 pandemic response.

Ayubowan
Hon. Dr. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India,
Hon Tharaka Balasuriya, Regional Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
H.E. Mr. Gopal Baglay, High Commissioner of India,
Members of the Indian and Sri Lankan Delegation,
Dear friends of the Media

I would like to thank the External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar for visiting Sri Lanka as his first overseas engagement this year. Thank you Dr. Jaishankar.

I held cordial and friendly bilateral discussions with Hon. Dr. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India, who is undertaking an official visit to Sri Lanka.

Your Excellency, Sri Lanka was blessed thrice by the visits of Gauthama the Buddha 2600 years ago,

2300 years ago the arrival of Mahinda Maha Thero and Sangamitta Thera, son & daughter of Emperor Asoka the great of Bharatha, established the Buddhasasana in Sri Lanka.

In the wake of the discovery of a fast spreading new strain of Coronavirus in certain countries, the Government of Sri Lanka has decided to continue with the existing procedure of obtaining prior approval from the Foreign Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority for all inbound travellers to Sri Lanka.

The revised guidelines on repatriation will be issued once the situation has been reappraised. 

The procedure for inbound travellers to Sri Lanka, introduced since March 2020 is hereby revised as follows, based on the joint decision made by the Foreign Ministry, the Department of Immigration and the Civil Aviation Authority and as agreed by the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation.