Mangala sets off on first official visit to Japan

• Plans to sign two agreements on development assistance

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera yesterday embarked on his first official visit to Japan, subsequent to his appointment in January, and will hold meetings with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and several other stakeholders during his brief stay.

The visit takes place on the invitation of the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, with whom he will hold bilateral talks and also sign two agreements for Japanese economic assistance to Sri Lanka.

Minister Samarweera will additionally hold talks with Japan’s Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications  Keisuke Takachi, the President and senior members of the Japan-Sri Lanka Parliamentary League and the Chairman of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Hiroyuki Ishige as well as former Prime Minister of Japan Yasuo Fukuda.

Samaraweera will hold talks with the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Akihiko Tanaka as well. These talks have been scheduled in the wake of the Sri Lankan Government’s expansion plans for the Bandaranaike International Airport for which JICA granted a loan of Rs. 48.9 billion.

The Minister is expected to cover a wide range of topics during these discussions including bilateral trade, economic assistance and investment opportunities.

He will also hold a meeting with member companies of the Japan-Sri Lanka Business Corporation Committee in which several investor companies and potential investors are expected to participate.

On Friday (19 June), the Minister will call on the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. This will be joint courtesy call together with some of the panellists and speakers of the high level seminar on Peace Building, National Reconciliation and Democratisation in Asia to be held the next day. Minister Samaraweera will also address the seminar on the invitation of Minister Kishida and will focus his address on Sri Lanka’s experiences in reconciliation and democratisation.

Furthermore, Samaraweera will hold a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on 19 June and hold private interviews with Japanese media outlets.