April 26, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
Swedish Foreign Minister delivers speech at LKI. Image credit - Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Reading Time: 2 min read
Swedish FM visits Sri Lanka
The Swedish Foreign Minister, Margot Wallström, is currently on an official visit to Sri Lanka, at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera. She has stated that the Swedish Government welcomes Sri Lanka’s policy of active engagement and involvement with the international community.
Foreign Minister Wallström met with several Sri Lankan leaders, including President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. She delivered a speech on ‘Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy’ at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS).
Prime Minister to address world business community
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has addressed the global business community on the CNBC network, inviting them to connect with Sri Lanka by showcasing the country’s business and investment potential.
The programme will focus on tourism, the state of the economy, and promoting Sri Lanka as a maritime hub.
Swedish delegation discusses bilateral relations
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera met with a trade and investment delegation from Sweden to discuss future investment opportunities in Sri Lanka.
The delegation also met with the Speaker of Parliament, Karu Jayasuriya, in relation to the strengthening of parliamentary and diplomatic relationships.
ICC to investigate violence in Burundi
The International Criminal Court (ICC) will begin investigations into allegations of imprisonment and violence in Burundi, that have reportedly left at least 430 dead and has forced over 230,000 people to flee the country.
The violence began in April 2015 during a bid for a third term in office by President Pierre Nkurunziza. Opponents claimed a third term was unconstitutional and against the peace agreement that ended the Burundian civil war.
Afghanistan vows to take a harder line against the Taliban
The President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, declared that his government will not engage in peace talks with the Taliban, and instead will toughen its stance against the Taliban.
The statement comes a week after Taliban assailants killed 64 people and injured 347 in Kabul.
Saudi Arabia announces reform plans
The Saudi Arabian cabinet has agreed on the Vision 2030 plan that focuses on diversifying its economy over the next 14 years.
Reforms include becoming less oil dependent, creating a green-card system for expats and opening up the state-owned oil giant Aramco to investment opportunities.
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