Foreign Minister Prof. Peiris briefed the Indian Foreign Minister on the situation with regard to the Covid-19 p andemic and the successful measures being implemented by the Government of Sri Lanka to control the spread of the virus. Minister Peiris further briefed the Foreign Minister about the pragmatic and tangible action taken by the government to resolve residual matters after the end of the conflict in May 2009, citing the fact that the Foreign Ministry, Defence Ministry and Justice Ministry were working collaboratively to address key issues, such as revisiting the Prevention of Terrorism Act, releasing of LTTE prisoners, and empowering independent institutions such as the Office of Missing Persons, Office for Reparations, Office of National Unity and Reconciliation, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the SDG Council. Minister Peiris indicated that substantial progress had been made on many fronts and that efforts were continuing.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef Al-Othaimeen reiterated the positive outcomes of integration among communities with the preservation of identity during a meeting on the eve of the high-level segment of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris has stated that the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) has a vital role to play and can render yeoman service under the current circumstances to all its Member and Observer States, when the Executive Director of CICA Kairat Sarybay paid a courtesy call on the Minister in New York.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris met his Australian counterpart Marise Payne in New York and discussed avenues for enhanced cooperation on a wide spectrum of areas. Foreign Minister Payne conveyed the warm greetings of the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to his Sri Lankan counterpart and stated that the Prime Minister is personally interested in the preparations for the upcoming celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.