Diplomats told to go beyond cocktails and play crucial role
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Sunday, July 08, 2012
By Our Political Editor
President, GL and Basil brief envoys on tackling economic issues and political challenges to Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan embassy in Washington outsources almost all work to PR firms at high costs even Vesak, Pongal, Avurudu festivities
Sri Lankan embassy in Washington outsources almost all work to PR firms at high costs even Vesak, Pongal, Avurudu festivities
President Rajapaksa addressing diplomats at the workshop in Diyatalawa yesterday
The journey in search of a new foreign policy for Sri Lanka appears to have begun on Friday.
It was only a fortnight ago that President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, the leader designate of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM), on the sidelines of the Rio+20 Earth Summit in Brazil and spoke of the need for a “new international order”.
Heads of Sri Lanka’s overseas diplomatic missions and consul generals set out at 6 a.m. from the Central Bank owned and BMICH run Sovereign Hotel in Kotte on a cross country familiarisation visit — the first phase before sitting down in the cooler climes of the Army Cantonment in Diyatalawa for a two day-brain storming session. It began yesterday and will end today. The group first went to Hambantota, one of the main hubs of development activity under the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration.A section of the envoys who attended the workshop
It was only a fortnight ago that President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, the leader designate of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM), on the sidelines of the Rio+20 Earth Summit in Brazil and spoke of the need for a “new international order”.
Heads of Sri Lanka’s overseas diplomatic missions and consul generals set out at 6 a.m. from the Central Bank owned and BMICH run Sovereign Hotel in Kotte on a cross country familiarisation visit — the first phase before sitting down in the cooler climes of the Army Cantonment in Diyatalawa for a two day-brain storming session. It began yesterday and will end today. The group first went to Hambantota, one of the main hubs of development activity under the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration.A section of the envoys who attended the workshop
The one time sleepy fishing town, known for its kalu dodol kiosks, the salterns abounded by Palmyrah trees and a stopover for pilgrims to Kataragama and tourists to Yala, is fast changing face. An international conference centre has already sprung up. A new port, whose first phase was completed at a cost of US$ 361 million, is still waiting for cargo vessels to arrive in large numbers. Only one car carrier has come so far to unload a fleet of vehicles. A new international airport is under construction in the once suburban village of Mattala at a cost of more than US$ 210 million. Many other multimillion dollar projects which will make Hambantota easily the top most new city in Sri Lanka are under way or in the pipeline.
