Embassy of Sri Lanka in Berlin

Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation is planning to web-cast the National Day Message by H.E. President Mahinda Rajapaksa live from Anuradhapura on 4th February 2012, 5 a.m. Central European Time. The video clip of the message will also be available on www.rupavahini.lk.

Aus Anlass des 3. Jahrestags der Gründung der Bodhi Vihara in Freising ist eine Briefmarke herausgegeben worden, die mit Inschriften auf Deutsch, Thai und Chinesisch an die Geschichte des jungen Tempels erinnert. Auf der Briefmarke ist das Siegel der Bodhi Vihara zu sehen, das im Zentrum das Dhamma-Rad zeigt. Zur Linken sind ein Bhikkhu sowie ein Hirsch aus dem Park in Sarnath zu sehen, wo Lord Buddha seine erste Predigt in Indien hielt. Auf der rechten Seite ist ein Laie zu sehen, der der Dhamma lauscht. An seiner Seite befindet sich das Wappen der Stadt Freising, das ebenfalls im Siegel des gegenwärtigen Papstes Benedikt XVI zu finden ist. Die Briefmarken sind am Postschalter erhältlich.

Media Release

Ambassador Sarrath Kongahage presents the Letters of Credence

H.E. Sarrath Kongahage, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Swiss Confederation, presented to Her Excellency Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, the President of the Swiss Confederation, the Letters of Credence at the Federal Palace in Berne, Switzerland, on 10 th January 2012. More about it

We should step forward as a resurgent nation - President

"Embracing all the victories we have achieved, we should step forward as a resurgent nation. This progress will be expedited by forging a political tradition that is based on new thinking. With regard to unity among communities we should act with new vision", President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.. "It is my belief that the development of the country now moving in new direction could be expedited by such vision and thinking. Similarly, our resolution for the New Year should be to work with tolerance, kindness, understanding and co-existence," President said in a New Year message. Read more

Media Release

Ambassador Kongahage speaks at the ‘Ninth South Asia Day' at the University of Hamburg

Ambassador Sarrath Kongahage represented Sri Lanka in the panel discussion on ‘Rural Development – a key political issue in South Asia' organised by the Department of Culture and History of India and Tibet and Asia-Africa Institute of the University of Hamburg on 19 th November 2011. The panel discussion was organised as the principle programme of the ‘Ninth South Asia Day' by the University of Hamburg. Read more

Intervention By H E Sarrath Kongahage, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Germany and Switzerland at the Panel Discussion and Screening of the Channel 04 Documentary ‘Sri Lanka's Killing Fields' organized by ‘Society for Threatened Peoples' and Palmyrah Project – Solidarity is Strength on 10 th November 2011 in Bern

Honorable members of the panel, Mr. Mohan Peiris – President Counsel and former Attorney-General of Sri Lanka, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. At the very outset I would like to state that it does not gives me a great pleasure at this moment of time as having had to bear with a decision of the organizers of this gathering to completely ignore my request to screen a documentary produce by Government of Sri Lanka back to back in answer to the Channel 04 Documentary which rebut graphically all allegations contained therein. Read more

Ambassador Sarrath Kongahage met with members of the South Asia Group of Parliament, Committee on Tourism and Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Federal Parliament on 19, 20 and 21 October 2011. Read more

H.E. Sarrath Kongahage, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Federal Republic of Germany with accreditation to the Swiss Confederation, presented to Ambassador, Lorenzo Schnyder von Wartensee , Head of Protocol of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, the open papers of the Letters of Credence at the Swiss Foreign Ministry on 12 th October 2011. Read more

H.E. Sarrath Kongahage, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Federal Republic of Germany, presented to His Excellency Christian Wulff, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Letters of Credence at the Bellevue Palace, the Official Residence of the Federal President on 2nd September 2011. Read more

Video documentary produced by the
Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka
“Lies Agreed Upon”

The Ministry of Defence has lifted the imposed pre-travel approval exclusively for foreign passport holders with effect from 4th June 2011.

According to Military Liaison Officer Officials, foreign passport holders are no longer required to produce a MOD travel approval document at Omantha entry/exit point, the main travel checking point located in Vavuniya district.

"As normalcy is flourishing in the country, we see that travel restrictions to foreign passport holders are no longer required," the official stated commenting on the last move.

This is a definite sign that the country is heading in the right direction with the rapid reconciliation and development taking place in Wanni and North, he further said.

Media Release

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Berlin, for the eleventh consecutive year, participated in the “All Nations Festival” held in Berlin on 02 nd July 2011 from 11.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs at the Chancery premises.

The doors of the Embassy were opened to the German public and to the Sri Lankan expatriate community to have a glimpse of the country. The Open Day in summer is one of the regular calendar events of the Embassy's promotional activities. More...

On the occasion of the National Day of Sri Lanka, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Berlin organized a function on Friday, 4th February 2011. See Images of the Event !

Flood Disaster in Sri Lanka -
Embassy organizes Emergency Fund

The floods in Sri Lanka have affected more than 1 Million people. Several houses have been totally destroyed. 284 000 persons are actually staying in emergency shelters. The hardest affected districts are the districts of Batticaloa and Ampara in the East of Sri Lanka.

For the support of the emergency relief in this tragic situation, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Berlin has opened a donations account. With the funds collected there, the relief measures like transport assistance and shelters are supported. Additionally, the flood victims urgently need drinking water, food, mattresses and medical care.

The situation is of utmost urgency. The funds donated in Sri Lanka will be sent directly to the Ministry of Disaster Management in Sri Lanka coordinating all activities. Further information is available with Mr. Galagoda at the Embassy, Tel. 030-80909749.

Account Data: Account Name: Sri Lanka Embassy, Bank: Deutsche Bank, Account Number: 2377455, Bank Code: 100 700 00, Ref: Flood Donations 2011

Our first task in our rise to be among the great nations of the world, is to ensure lasting national unity and sustainable, permanent peace in our motherland, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa after the swearing in of his second term of office today (19 Nov) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Our policy is one of non-alignment, he said adding, ‘we do not have enemy states or such groups or blocs. During the last era, we worked with many nations in agreement and friendship for national security. We now step into the development era. We extend our hand of friendship to those who assist us in this endeavour'.

We have the inherited wisdom to tolerate all opinion and take mature decisions. We have a tradition of understanding our problems and conflicts and finding solutions for them, he further stated.

‘We are not a miniature of a developed country. We are Sri Lanka. Our motherland is Sri Lanka'.

Video documentary produced by the Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka “Lies Agreed Upon”

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Video documentary produced by the
Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka
“Lies Agreed Upon”