August 16, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
The Director-General of Unesco visits Sri Lanka. Image credit - anton_chalakov / depositphotos
Reading Time: 2 min read
* A Daily Brief will not be published on Wednesday 17th August, due to the local public holiday.
Head of UNESCO speaks at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute
The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Ms. Irina Bokova, delivered a lecture at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI) on 16 August, at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of LKI, Mangala Samaraweera.
Ms Bokova, who is also a candidate for the post of UN Secretary-General, spoke to an invited audience at the Institute on ‘Soft Power for Peace and Development – UNESCO and the Sustainable Development Goals’.
Board of Investment hosts foreign diplomats
The Board of Investment (BOI) has hosted a delegation of 26 foreign diplomats from 20 Asian, African, and Oceanic nations. The diplomats were in Sri Lanka as part of a training programme conducted by the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI).
The delegation was led by the Director General of the BIDTI, Ms. Pamela Deen. The visit to the BOI was arranged to enable the visiting diplomats to better understand Sri Lanka’s economic potential.
French naval vessel docks in Trincomalee
The French naval ship, ‘Revi’, has arrived at the Port of Trincomalee on a goodwill visit, and was welcomed by the Sri Lankan Navy.
The Commanding Officer of the ‘Revi’, Lieutenant Stéphane Congues, called on the Commander of the Eastern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Travis Sinniah, for discussions. The naval crew is expected to participate in programmes organised by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Venezuelan government denies humanitarian crisis
The Venezuelan Permanent Representative to the UN, Rafael Ramirez, has denied the claim by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, that Venezuela is experiencing a ‘humanitarian crisis’.
The worsening economic situation in Venezuela has compelled nearly 150,000 Venezuelans to travel to Colombia to buy basic necessities. The government has blamed the state of affairs on its opponents, while the opposition has blamed the government’s incompetence.
Russia signals collaboration with the US in Syria
The Russian Minister of Defence, Sergei Shoigu, has stated that Russia and the USA are close to engaging in joint military action against Syrian militants in Aleppo.
US State Department spokesperson, Elizabeth Trudeau, stated that the US had nothing to announce on the matter. She noted that the US remains in close contact with Russian officials, and is pushing for a broader cessation of hostilities in Syria.
Lungu re-elected as Zambian President
The President of Zambia, Edgar Lungu, narrowly won re-election on 15 August. His main rival, Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND), stated that the vote was rigged, and that election officials had committed fraud during the count.
The UPND also said that it would appeal the result to the Constitutional Court.
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