Author: uslanka

A newly accredited Ambassador and High Commissioner to Sri Lanka presented their credentials to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the President’s House in Colombo this morning (22).

Mr Michael Edward Appleton and Mr Andres Marcelo Garrido have been appointed as the New Zealand High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Sri Lanka respectively.

The New Zealand High Commission based in India has been coordinating Sri Lankan affairs until today. Mr Michael Edward Appleton said he was pleased to be the first High Commissioner to the newly established New Zealand High Commission in Sri Lanka, further expanding diplomatic relations between the two countries.

President Rajapaksa commended Cuba for its support to Sri Lanka at the United Nations General Assembly. The two new envoys assured the President that they would commit themselves to further develop their long-standing relations between Sri Lanka and their countries in new fields.

The President briefed the new envoys on the action taken as a government since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the progress of the vaccination drive. The President explained the need for all countries to work together to face climate changes, and the plans that have been taken for this purpose as a country under a formal plan by setting up a Task Force. The President also pointed out the move towards the use of organic fertilizers and the steps taken to fulfill a higher percentage of the country’s energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2030.

President Rajapaksa pointed out to the envoys that the massive development projects launched in the North and East at the end of the humanitarian operation could be witnessed and understood by visiting those areas.

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Secretary to President P.B. Jayasundera, Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage, and Director General of the President’s Media Division Sudewa Hettiarachchi were also present.

The United States donated 500,000 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) as part of its commitment to support Sri Lanka’s fight against COVID-19.

These tests, worth 300 million Sri Lankan rupees (USD 1.5 million), were delivered to the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health through the United States Government’s development arm, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  These RDTs come in addition to over 1.5 million Moderna vaccines the American people donated to Sri Lanka on Friday, July 16.

“By enabling rapid detection of the virus, these tests donated by the American people will save lives and protect public health in Sri Lanka,” said USAID Mission Director to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Reed Aeschliman. “This donation builds on previous U.S. support to the Sri Lankan government’s pandemic response and reflects our strong, long-standing partnership.”

These antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests directly detect the presence of the COVID-19 virus. The tests are simple to use and enable fast, decentralized access to direct testing. They do not require additional equipment or specialized laboratory access, which helps achieve high testing coverage.

The United States has worked closely with Sri Lanka since the outset of the pandemic to protect public health, providing over $8 million in emergency supplies and critical services, plus an in-kind donation of 200 ventilators and over 1.5 million Moderna vaccines. This assistance has reached millions of people in all 25 districts and nine provinces of Sri Lanka to control the spread of COVID-19, address the urgent health needs of the Sri Lankan people, mitigate the pandemic’s negative economic impacts, and ultimately save lives.

USAID’s COVID-19 support builds on decades of public health investments and is one component of the longstanding partnership between the American and Sri Lankan people. USAID’s program in Sri Lanka, totalling more than 350 billion LKR ($2 billion) since 1961, promotes a healthy, educated, and employed population.