British Deputy High Commissioner visits South

Saturday, 19 November 2011 01:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

British Deputy High Commissioner, Robbie Bulloch, embarked on a two-day visit of the Southern Province from 13 to 15 November.

As part of his visit, he attended the opening of The Galle Dialogue. He also met the Southern Naval Commander, Rear Admiral Lakshman Ilangakoon and Majid Awn, the Managing Director of the Wilhelmsen Ships Service Operations Centre, a Norwegian shipping company, which works with UK maritime security companies, including MAST and GOAGT.

Commenting on his visit, the British Deputy High Commissioner said, “I was delighted meet such a wide range of people during my first visit to the Southern Province: Government officials, academics, students, British businesses, British residents who clearly appreciate the beauty and potential of the region and those involved in The Galle Dialogue, which covered a number of issues of strategic importance to the UK, including counter-piracy. These meetings gave me a better sense of the Southern Province and the opportunities and challenges it faces.”

His meetings with Government officials included Mrs. Kumari Balasuriya, the Governor of the Southern Province and DIG M. K. D. Wije Amarasinghe, of the Galle Police.

Keeping in mind that Galle is also a favourite spot for British holidaymakers and residents, especially with the rapidly increasing popularity of the Galle Literary Festival, Bulloch also met the Founder of the Festival, Geoffrey Dobbs and British Warden of Galle, Ivan Robinson, as well as several other British residents in the area.

On the second day of his visit, the Deputy High Commissioner also met the Vice Chancellor, faculty heads and students of the University of Ruhuna, where he addressed them on ‘Cultural, social, economic and political relations between Sri Lanka and the UK.’