Hon. Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna and Hon. Member of Parliament S.M. Marikkar were elected as the Co-Presidents of the Sri Lanka-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Association for the Tenth Parliament recently (24).
The revival meeting of the Friendship Association was held in Parliament under the patronage of the Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. The High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka, H.E. Paul Stephens was present at the occasion as the guest of honor and Hon. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, and the Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, were also present at the event.
During the meeting Hon. Member of Parliament Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran was elected as the Secretary of the Sri Lanka – Australia Parliamentary Friendship Association.
Addressing the gathering, Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne highlighted that the revival of the Friendship Association would serve as a catalyst for enhancing cooperation between Sri Lanka and Australia, especially as this year marks the 78th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The Speaker noted the broad scope of bilateral relations, spanning development cooperation, counterterrorism, and maritime security. He also expressed gratitude for the invaluable support extended by the Australian Government during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis in 2022.
H.E. Paul Stephens, the High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka, thanked the Hon. Speaker for organizing the revival meeting and congratulated the newly elected office bearers. He emphasized the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and Australia and expressed optimism about the new opportunities for interaction and collaboration between the Parliaments of both countries.
In his address, newly elected Co-President Hon. Member of Parliament S.M. Marikkar expressed gratitude for their election as Co-Presidents and expressed confidence in strengthening bilateral ties. He emphasized his commitment to further strengthening the relations between Sri Lanka and Australia and anticipated the continued support of the High Commissioner in this regard.
In his address, Hon. Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, highlighted the importance of reviving the Parliamentary Friendship Association and stated that this important and historical step would facilitate closer relationship between the two countries in various aspects such as legislative, economic and business sectors.
