President arrives in New York to attend UN General Assembly

President Maithripala Sirisena, who left the country on Wednesday to attend the 70th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) sessions, arrived in New York yesterday.

He was warmly welcomed by the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Washington Prasad Kariyavasam and the Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Dr. Rohan Perera.

The President is scheduled to deliver a special address on 30 September morning at the General Debate of the Assembly which will take place from 28 September to 3 October.

He is expected to enlighten the General Assembly on Sri Lanka’s stand on the reports released on alleged human rights violations. The President will also attend the Economic Conference to be held on 27 September in New York.

The President is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several leaders including Prime Minister of Malta Dr. Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key and Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull on the sidelines of the UN session.

He also will meet the President of ICRC, Peter Maurer, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth as well as the Administrator of the UNDP Helen Clark.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Affairs D.M. Swaminathan, Minister of Justice and Buddha Sasana Wijeyadasa Rajapakhse, Minister of Ports Arjuna Ranatunga and Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training Mahinda Samarasinghe are accompanying the President.