Nepal and Sri Lanka are signing an air service agreement within two weeks to resume direct flights between the two countries by December. 

The agreement was reached during talks in Nepal between Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohana, Nepal Prime Minister Madhav Kumar and Nepal Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala on Monday.

Welcoming President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s unequivocal commitment to the resettlement process of the displaced persons in the north, Eric Schwartz, Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration of the U.S. State Department pledged that the United States government wishes to be supportive of such efforts, when he met with Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs today (27^th July 2009). Schwartz, who is the first high level official from the Obama Administration to visit Sri Lanka, held discussions with President Rajapaksa yesterday.

Iran’s UN Ambassador thanks Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka

Sri Lanka has accepted the Chairmanship of the Group of Fifteen, a coalition of 18 developing countries established to develop what Member countries perceived as the considerable potential for greater and mutually beneficial cooperation among developing countries, especially in the areas of investment, trade and technology.

Sri Lanka earned high praise from the chair at the retreat of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) for its positive contributions on the fight against terrorism. 

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya who chaired the concluding session yesterday at the 16^th ARF Conference in Phuket, Thailand extended high praise to Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama for his remarks that he said stood as a lesson for others faced with the same or similar problems.

Colombo (PTI): India will help rebuild public and private infrastructure in war-ravaged Tamil-dominated northern Sri Lanka and has signed an agreement under which latest technology will be used for mass-scale construction there.

Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake said Sri Lanka will possess one of the strong agricultural economies in the world as a result of the government’s successful agricultural programmes. 

The government has already taken initiatives to develop the agricultural sector in the northern and eastern provinces.

Address by Hon Mahinda Samarasinghe MP,Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights,in Parliament on 22 July 2009 on the occasion of the Adjournment Debate on Internally Displaced Persons

The government of the Russian Federation has generously contributed US$500,000 to the budget of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to be earmarked for UNHCR programmes in Sri Lanka aimed at addressing the current humanitarian needs in the country, and has expressed its hope that the funds would benefit Sri Lanka and its people.

Sri Lanka bagged the UNESCAP's ICT Committee Chairmanship again at a UNESCAP meeting held in Bangkok yesterday. 

The ESCAP member countries unanimously passed a proposal requesting Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga to continue as Chairman of UNESCAP's Committee on Information and Communication Technology.

The United Nations has praised the joint efforts by the UNDP and Sri Lanka government to help and resettle Internally Displaced People (IDPs). 

After a fact finding mission to Manik Farm and Jaffna IDP welfare centres, the UN Assistant Secretary General Jordan Ryan has congratulated the government's efforts, a statement issued by the UNDP said.

Sri Lankan community leaders in France have formed a new association called Suriya Udawa to mobilize funds for child development projects in the North and East. 

The new association will launch its first project later this year to help rebuilding of school buildings in Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu districts.

"It is the dedicated intention of the Government to resettle the displaced persons and restore their livelihood swiftly in their domiciled villages while implementing the massive development drive initiated by the Government," said Senior Presidential Advisor, Basil Rajapaksa today (21).   

Senior Advisor Rajapaksa held a discussion in Vavuniya Government Agent's office today to instruct the Government officials and other involved groups to accelerate the implementation of the Government's 180 day development drive- Northern Spring.

July 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka government has planned to reopen the main road heading to most sacred Madhu Shrine after completion of the construction work on the road by August 6th, Minister of Highways T. B. Ekanayaka said.

School curriculum on Internet:

 President Mahinda Rajapaksa, launched ‘Nenasa’ - a state-of-the-art Digital Satellite Television based Distance Education Bridge, managed and operated by the Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Education (NIE).

The Sri Lanka Air Force has now commenced domestic flight operations to any destination departing from Katunayaka and Ratmalana, Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara told www.news.lk. The general public can now seek any air route to any interested local destination. The new service is also available from Katunayaka International Air Port enabling passengers arriving at the airport to take an air route to the domestic destination.

(AFP)  

WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund on Monday said it had provisionally approved a 2.5 billion dollar loan to Sri Lanka to help the country cope with the global financial crisis. 

IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said that an IMF staff mission reached an agreement with the Sri Lankan authorities on an economic program that "could be supported" by a 20-month stand-by credit for an amount equivalent to roughly 2.5 billion dollars.

By Random Jottings 

ATEAR-DROP shaped island nestled seductively on the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is blessed with more than its fair share of abundant and varied touristy delights—from golden beaches and lush mountains to colorful festivals and a rich cultural past that dates back several centuries.