Samaraweera leaves for Europe
[TamilNet, Friday, 10 March 2006, 02:47 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Mr Mangala Samaraweera, left Colombo Thursday on an official visit to UK, France and Belgium accompanied by Dr Jayantha Dhanapala, Senior Advisor to Sri Lanka President, and senior officials of the Foreign Ministry, a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo said. Mr Samaraweera is scheduled to meet his counterparts, Jack Straw and Phillippe Douste-Blazy during his visit, the release further said.
Full text of the release follows:  Mr. Mangala Samaraweera
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera left for the United Kingdom, France and Belgium on 09 March 2006, on his first official visit to these countries after assumption of office as Minister of Foreign Affairs last November. In the United Kingdom and France, the Minister will be meeting his counterparts Jack Straw and Phillippe Douste-Blazy, respectively, for official talks. In Brussels, he will meet the External Relations Commissioner of the European Commission, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. Minister Samaraweera is scheduled to have a series of meetings in the three capitals. In London, he will meet the Secretary of State of International Development, Minister of State for the Home Department and teh Sri Lanka All Party Parliamentary Group. In Paris, the Minister will attend several events connected to the South Asia Federation (SAF) Governing Council meetings at the UNESCO Headquarters. He will address the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament in Brussels. Further, the Minister is scheduled to deliver a lecture at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London and also attend Commonwealth Day celebrations to be held at the Marlborough House as a Guest of Honor. Minister Samaraweera will be accompanied by Dr Jayantha Dhanapala, Senior Advisor to the President and senior officals of the Ministries of Foreing Affairs, Ports and Aviation.
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