News
Strict guidelines for contacts with foreign entities
View(s):The Presidential Secretariat has issued guidelines for ministries and state institutions to follow when interacting with foreign states, international organisations, and diplomatic missions accredited to Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan missions overseas.
The 12-page circular was sent out by Presidential Secretary N.S. Kumanayake. It was addressed to ministry secretaries, provincial chief secretaries, and secretaries to provincial governors. The circular is effective from January 1. The exception to the rules will be the Finance Ministry, which can deal directly with the concerned foreign government or international organisation on several aspects, such as negotiating loans from multilateral and regional financial institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank; processing of bilateral cooperation assistance; matters relating to external commercial borrowings/external debt; and the management of foregone exchange resources.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has sought strict compliance with the guidelines that are meant to streamline and systematise formal and functional contacts between various organs of the Sri Lankan state and foreign governments, institutions, and their diplomatic representations.
All communications between the Government of Sri Lanka and foreign governments or entities will have to be channelled through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Provincial councils and local government bodies, including municipal councils, should not establish direct contact or correspond directly with foreign governments or missions accredited to Sri Lanka and other international organisations.
The circular lays down the procedure to be followed by government ministers and officials when meeting with ministers, ambassadors, or senior officials of foreign governments and cautions against engaging with states or governments that are not recognised or with whom Sri Lanka has not established diplomatic relations.
The circular also forbids the making of media statements of whatever nature (interview, social media, print media, and digital/electronic media) concerning foreign policy and relations and related matters without the written clearance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is to prevent any unwarranted bilateral and multilateral developments that may emerge and to streamline a consistent approach toward Sri Lanka’s foreign policy.
The circular also covers guidelines for ministers and senior offices travelling overseas, attendance at diplomatic functions, invitations by diplomatic missions, hosting of international or regional conferences, seminars., and programmes in Sri Lanka, and meetings with foreign dignitaries.
The circular also dealt with requests made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sri Lanka Missions overseas to obtain visas and/or to support these applications in respect of both official and private travel.
“The Ministry in charge of the subject of Foreign Affairs has no authority to facilitate visas for private travel, including those holding official positions. No government institution should issue official letters supporting visa applications for private travel,” the circular said.
It added that if the intended travel is of an official nature by ministers, deputy ministers, or government officials, such information should be furnished to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs well in advance, at least four weeks prior to the date of the visit, following which a Third Person Note supporting the request for a visa for official purposes, will be given, provided the clearance of the President has been obtained for such travel.
In the case of members of Parliament, the request for visa assistance should be made by the Secretary-General of Parliament. In the event the visa for official travel is to be obtained through a Sri Lanka Mission abroad, such a request should be made at least three weeks before the intended date of travel, the circular said.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!