November 3, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
Swiss President and German Chancellor discuss EU migration in Berlin. Image Credit - sepavone / depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
Cabinet approves proposal for migrant pension fund
The Cabinet has approved a proposal by the Minister of Foreign Employment, Thalata Atukorale, to establish a pension fund for migrant workers. The approval includes the use of LKR 2 billion as initial funding for the scheme from the Kuwait Compensation Fund of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment.
The proposed pension scheme is to be implemented on 1 January 2017, and will be enforced through amendments made to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Act.
Denmark to strengthen commercial ties with Sri Lanka
The Danish Ambassador for India and Sri Lanka, Peter Taksøe-Jensen, has stated that Sri Lanka’s democratic and economic reforms are ‘crucial’ for foreign investors seeking to enhance investment opportunities.
Ambassador Taksøe-Jensen was accompanied by a high-level business delegation, and made these remarks at a conference titled ‘Danish Days in Sri Lanka 2016’. The Ambassador emphasised the delegation’s willingness to invest in Sri Lanka’s port development, city planning, and energy sector.
Prime Minister in Hong Kong for business conference
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has travelled to Hong Kong to attend the 15th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business, which is taking place from 3-5 November.
The conference is held every two years and aims to strengthen regional economic ties between German and Asian officials and business delegates.
Switzerland and Germany discuss limits to EU migration
The President of Switzerland, Johann Schneider-Ammann, has held discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on plans to curb EU immigration to Switzerland. The meeting follows the 2014 referendum in Switzerland which called for quotas on EU migrant workers.
Both parties maintained that the Swiss-EU discussions should not be influenced by negotiations on a separate immigration deal between the EU and UK.
UN Secretary-General dismisses head of South Sudan mission
The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has requested the replacement of Lieutenant-General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki, the commander of the UN peacekeeping force in South Sudan. The dismissal follows statements in a report that alleged a failure by peacekeepers to respond to the outbreak of violence in July.
The UN will hold discussions with member states on the recommendations made in the report, and has stated that it will continue to identify those responsible for the security failure.
US, UK and Japan sign naval cooperation agreement
The heads of the American and British navies and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force have signed a trilateral cooperation agreement, following talks held in Washington D.C.
The result of the half-day session at the Pentagon was an agreement to increase collaboration and cooperation, including in naval exercises and combined patrols.
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