May 9, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
Reading Time: 2 min read
Saudi Arabia to solve pressing issues for Sri Lankan workers
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Harsha de Silva, has discussed long-standing consular and labour issues of stranded Sri Lankan employees in Saudi Arabia, on a recent visit to the country.
Saudi Arabia has agreed to share employment details of Sri Lankan workers in the country. The Deputy Minister has also received assurances that hospital access will be provided to Sri Lankans facing medical emergencies. Additionally, both countries agreed to devise a mechanism that would arrange exit permits for the early repatriation of stranded Sri Lankans.
SL Government to hold international tourism conference
The Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs, along with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, will host an international conference that will showcase the national reconciliation process through tourism.
The conference, titled ‘Tourism: A Catalyst for the Development of Peace and Reconciliation,’ will be held in Pasikudah from 11-16 July 2016. Technical assistance for the conference will be provided by the UN World Trade Organisation (UNWTO).
Sri Lankan nurses recruited to US hospital
Sri Lanka has signed an agreement with a US company, Karma Services, to allow more than 3,000 local nurses to work in US hospitals.
The first batch of nurses will be recruited shortly and will undergo training at a special centre operated by the Foreign Employment Bureau.
Chinese envoy visits naval base in Djibouti
The Vice-Chair of the National People’s Congress, Yan Junqi, will visit Djibouti, where China is establishing its first overseas naval logistics base. The base is expected to service a variety of Chinese missions in the African continent. Djibouti is also home to US and French military installations.
Yan Junqi is also scheduled to attend the inauguration the re-elected President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, followed by that of President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
David Cameron opposes Brexit
The Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameron, has warned that peace in Europe could be at risk if the UK votes to leave the EU.
David Cameron also stated that, despite the EU’s faults, it has helped reconcile countries that have been at war, and that ‘isolationism has never served [the UK] well’.
North Korea to use nuclear weapons only for deterrence
At the seventh Congress of the Korean Workers’ Party, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, stated that North Korea will act like ‘a responsible nuclear power’, and will not use its nuclear arms unless threatened.
The Congress of the Korean Workers’ Party also agreed to strengthen nuclear weapon capabilities for self-defence, despite existing UN resolutions and sanctions.