Mr. Esala Weerakoon, a member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service batch of 1988 received his letter of appointment as the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the 1st August 2016, from the Secretary to the President.
The Federal Republic of Germany has agreed to provide a Euro 13 million Technical Cooperation Grant to Sri Lanka during President Maithripala Sirisena's visit to Germany in February 2016.
The European Commission (EC) has announced that the fish ban imposed on Sri Lanka in 2015 by the European Union (EU) was lifted after a lengthy dialogue process.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, visited Sri Lanka from 14-16 June 2016, on an invitation extended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera. This is the first visit of a Foreign Minister of Turkey to Sri Lanka, and will therefore mark the beginning of forgoing stronger relations between the two countries.
During the recent visit to Berlin, Dr.Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Special Assignments met senior officials of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Sri Lanka. Dr. Amunugama said that Friedrich Naumann Foundation was actively involved in Sri Lanka during past few decades and appreciated re-establishment of its cooperation activities in Sri Lanka. Emphasizing that FNF could assist with its programme to the vision of the new government particularly in the area of good governance, democracy and national reconciliation.
At the invitation of the German Bundestag (Parliament), Minister for Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka, visited Germany and addressed the First (1st) German - Asian Economic Dialogue on 27th April 2016 at Deutsche Parlamenarische Gesellschaft of the German Bundestag.
Almost two years after the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom had to close its office in Sri Lanka it has taken up its project work again. On invitation of Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Ulrich Niemann, Head of the Foreign Department of the Foundation, and Chitranganee Wageeswara, State Secretary in the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka, exchanged the cooperation agreement. “The experience and expertise of the foundation is of great value for the reform process in Sri Lanka,” Deputy Foreign Minister Harsha de Silva said. “We are happy that the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom is here again.”