2026-05-07
News Categories : News
The President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, His Excellency To Lam, is scheduled to visit the Parliament of Sri Lanka tomorrow (08) and deliver a special address to Members of Parliament.
President To Lam is expected to arrive at the Parliamentary Complex at 11.05 a.m. tomorrow, where he will be received by the Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne and the Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera. Following the reception, a brief meeting between the President of Viet Nam and the Hon. Speaker has been arranged. The Chairman of the Sri Lanka -Viet Nam Friendship Association Hon. Minister of Environment (Dr.) Dammika Patabendi and the Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, will also participate in this occasion.
During the visit, the President of Viet Nam is also scheduled to sign the special visitors’ book of Parliament.
Thereafter, President To Lam will enter the Chamber and take his seat in the specially designated chair placed near the Speaker’s Chair. He is scheduled to deliver his special address to Parliament at 11.40 a.m. Accordingly; this will mark the first occasion since 2015 that a Head of State addresses the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Following the address by the President of Viet Nam, statements are scheduled to be delivered by the Hon. Prime Minister and the Hon. Leader of the Opposition. After the temporary suspension of the House, the President of Viet Nam will depart from the Parliamentary Complex.
2026-05-07
The Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Sri Lanka, H.E. Ms. Patricia Lázara Pego Guerra, paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, at the Parliament of Sri Lanka yesterday (May 06). The Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, was also present on the occasion.During the meeting, both parties reaffirmed the longstanding and cordial relations between Sri Lanka and Cuba, highlighting over 65 years of strong and friendly bilateral ties.The Hon. Speaker congratulated the Ambassador on her recent appointment and recalled the enduring friendship between the two nations. He also paid tribute to distinguished Cuban leaders, including Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, acknowledging their contributions to strengthening international solidarity.The Speaker expressed sincere appreciation for Cuba’s consistent support for Sri Lanka at multilateral forums, particularly at successive sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council, where Cuba has delivered statements in support of Sri Lanka.He further commended Cuba’s advanced medical sector and shared his personal experiences with Cuban doctors who served in Sri Lanka with exceptional dedication and compassion during his time as a medical student. The Speaker extended his gratitude to the Government of Cuba for its assistance in combating dengue in Sri Lanka and sought continued support in developing Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector, particularly through access to advanced Cuban medical technology.Emphasizing the importance of Parliamentary diplomacy, the Speaker noted the potential to further strengthen bilateral cooperation through the Sri Lanka - Cuba Parliamentary Friendship Association across multiple sectors.Ambassador Pego Guerra reaffirmed Cuba’s enduring friendship and continued support for Sri Lanka. She commended the Government of Sri Lanka’s efforts in governance, particularly its effective response in mitigating the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. The Ambassador extended an invitation to the Hon. Speaker to visit Cuba with a Parliamentary delegation to further enhance bilateral relations.Discussions also focused on expanding cooperation in areas such as education through Cuban scholarship programmes, development of the sports sector, and collaboration in the plantation industry for mutual benefit.Following the meeting, the Ambassador met with a group of members of the Sri Lanka - Cuba Parliamentary Friendship Association and held cordial discussions on further strengthening bilateral relations.
2026-05-06
Hon. Speaker of Parliament (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne met with the Maldivian President H.E. (Dr.) Mohamed Muizzu recently. Hon. Speaker warmly received the Maldivian President and his accompanying delegation at the Hilton Hotel Colombo, during the President’s first State Visit to Sri Lanka. The Hon. Speaker noted that the visit reflects the close and longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and the Maldives and expressed confidence that bilateral relations would be further strengthened through continued cooperation.Recalling the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, both sides reaffirmed their strong historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties.Attention was also drawn to the importance of Parliamentary diplomacy, with the Hon. Speaker highlighting the role of the Sri Lanka–Maldives Parliamentary Friendship Association in fostering closer engagement between the two legislatures.Discussions further covered economic cooperation and national priorities, including good governance, transparency, anti-corruption efforts, and digital transformation aimed at enhancing efficiency and economic resilience.The Hon. Speaker also emphasized the strong people-to-people linkages between the two countries, noting the presence of Maldivian students in Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka’s contribution to the Maldivian hospitality sector, while appreciating the support extended to Sri Lankans residing in the Maldives. He further acknowledged the continued cooperation in addressing maritime-related matters involving Sri Lankan fishermen.The President of the Maldives reaffirmed the longstanding friendship between the two nations and expressed commitment to further strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation.The meeting was attended by the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the Maldives, H.E. Rizvi Hassen; Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera; and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Parliament Secretariat.
2026-05-05
Four newly appointed members to the Audit Service Commission today (May 04) took the oath of secrecy before the Hon. Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, at Parliament.Accordingly, former Auditor General Mr. Gamini Wijesinghe, former Deputy Auditor General Mr. G. Thevagnanan, retired Court of Appeal Judge Mr. Nihal Sunil Rajapaksa, and retired public service officer Mr. Ratna Deshapriya took the oath as new members of the Audit Service Commission.In accordance with Section 9 of the National Audit Act, No. 19 of 2018, members are required to swear that they shall maintain in utmost secrecy the information whatsoever which is given, stated, discussed or otherwise gathered in the performance of their duties and such information will not be disclosed, discussed or stated in any form whatever to any person in public or private, except when required by a Court of Law, Parliament or when specified under any written law, subject to section 9(b) of the National Audit Act, No. of 2018.The event was attended by the Chairperson of the Audit Service Commission and Auditor General, Ms. Samudika Jayaratne, Secretary General of Parliament Ms. Kushani Rohanadeera, Assistant Secretary General Mr. Hansa Abeyratne, Director of Legislative Services Mr. M. Jayalath Perera and several other officials.
2026-04-29
The official badge-awarding ceremony for members of the Student Parliament of Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya, Kadawatha was held on 27.04.2026 at the Presidential Secretariat.The event was attended by Director General of Legal Affairs to the President, Senior Attorney-at-Law J.M. Wijebandara, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Subhash Roshana Gamage and Hansard Editor of Parliament (Mrs.) Nayani Lokukodikara.Accordingly, official badges and certificates were ceremonially awarded to the newly elected Speaker, Prime Minister, Ministers and Members of the Student Parliament of Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya, Kadawatha.During the event, Director General of Legal Affairs to the President, Senior Attorney-at-Law J.M. Wijebandara, and Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Subhash Roshana Gamage, shared their views on the importance of the equal application of the law in the country and the functioning of the President’s Fund.Hansard Editor of Parliament, (Mrs.) Nayani Lokukodikara, also addressed the gathering, highlighting the value of student parliaments and emphasizing their importance in improving the relatively low level of political literacy in the country.This programme was organized by the Department of Communications of Parliament and the Presidential Secretariat. It was attended by Assistant Director of the Presidential Secretariat, Major Nadeeka Dangolla, officials from the Department of Communications of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, the Principal, Deputy Principal, and members of the teaching staff of Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya, Kadawatha.
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