Topic
Foreign Affairs
874 speeches · 189 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 68 |
| 2 | Hon. Vijitha Herath, M.P. JJB | 45 |
| 3 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 42 |
| 4 | Hon. Arun Hemachandra, M.P. JJB | 33 |
| 5 | Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha, M.P. JJB | 26 |
| 6 | Hon. Mujibur Rahman, M.P. SJB | 21 |
| 7 | Hon. (Prof.) Ruwan Ranasinghe, M.P. JJB | 20 |
| 8 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 19 |
| 9 | Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, M.P. SJB | 19 |
| 10 | Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC, M.P. SJB | 19 |
Speeches
874 on this topic- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Ruwan Wijeweera JJB AI summary Ruwan Wijeweera argued that Sri Lanka’s foreign service had been weakened by politicization, nepotism and crony appointments, citing media reports of political family members in diplomatic posts, and said the NPP Government would restore professionalism through merit-based appointments. He emphasized Monaragala District’s underused tourism and agricultural potential and outlined plans to develop Kataragama through city branding, create and upgrade tourism zones, and support a national target of three million tourists. He also proposed easing congestion at Yala National Park through a Maligawila entrance and linking heritage and natural sites such as Maragala, Yudaganawa, Siyambalanduwa and Pottuvil into a district tourism strategy. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning AI summary Deputy Minister Harshana Suriyapperuma said the Government’s foreign affairs and economic strategy is based on integrating Sri Lanka into global value chains while ensuring investor protection, transparency, accountability and zero tolerance for corruption. He cited proposed investment protection legislation, investor-ready industrial sites in the North, continued engagement with the IMF Programme and debt restructuring process, and strengthened bilateral and multilateral ties with partners including Japan, India, China, the World Bank and ADB. He also emphasized tourism promotion, people-to-people diplomacy, sovereignty in investment decisions, support for overseas Sri Lankan businesses, and a target to raise exports from US$19 billion to US$40 billion within five years through diversification and trade facilitation. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Hon. Namal Rajapaksa argued that foreign policy should be closely integrated with national security and economic policy, maintaining a non-aligned and friendly approach while ensuring foreign investment agreements are favourable to Sri Lanka. He urged the Government and Foreign Ministry to respond strategically to changing global trade conditions, promote Colombo Port City as a financial hub, and work with economic institutions to protect sovereignty and maximize commercial benefits. He also called for expanded airport capacity, including development of Mattala and Jaffna through private partnerships, to support higher tourism targets, and for incentives and streamlined formal channels for foreign remittances. He additionally linked foreign policy to addressing organized crime and drugs while safeguarding national unity in international forums. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Vijitha Herath JJB AI summary Funding has been allocated and preliminary arrangements completed to open a Sri Lankan embassy in Cyprus. The embassy is expected to be opened within the next couple of weeks. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi JJB AI summary Hon. Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi argued that foreign employment has long sustained Sri Lanka’s economy but was historically unmanaged, particularly through the untrained migration of women to domestic work in the Middle East, creating social and family hardships. He called for a structured system to train workers for overseas employment, involving the Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment authorities, vocational training institutions, and the Education Ministry, citing the Philippines as an example. He also urged urgent action to address unpaid Cyprus social security contributions owed to Sri Lankan migrant workers, including opening a Sri Lankan embassy in Cyprus and recovering the funds. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam questioned the Government’s calculation of foreign exchange earnings from tourism, arguing that arrival numbers alone are insufficient without assessing actual per-tourist spending and whether high-spending visitors are being attracted. He also urged Hon. Vijitha Herath to use his influence within his party to support a credible investigation into accountability issues that the affected community can trust. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne addressed migrant worker issues during the debate on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, citing COPE revelations on underage domestic workers, fraudulent certification, untrained placements, and institutional malpractice involving recruitment networks. She said the Government would strengthen Missions, implement the National Policy on Migration for Employment, amend the SLBFE Act, address trafficking, and establish migration policy and resource mechanisms. She outlined plans to increase skilled migration, support returnees through social protection and enterprise assistance, and use SLBFE allocations for training, loans, scholarships, housing support, and export-oriented businesses. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Sajith Premadasa raised concern that a series of recent murders and unresolved law-and-order issues are creating a public security crisis with potential effects on tourism, and called for urgent action and clarity from authorities. He questioned the Government’s continuation of the previous debt restructuring and IMF framework, arguing that current growth, revenue, and debt assumptions are unrealistic and urging renewed engagement with creditors and international financial institutions to avoid difficulty meeting debt service obligations by 2028. He also called for export market diversification, stronger trade and investment links with India and China including FTAs and dedicated industrial zones, and proactive engagement with the United States to mitigate possible tariff impacts. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Vijitha Herath JJB AI summary Vijitha Herath acknowledged technical issues affecting passports and stated that steps are being taken to address and resolve them. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy raised concerns about Sri Lankan driving licences being accepted abroad, noting that issues related to format and security features affect multiple countries beyond Italy and Poland, and urged that digitization meet international requirements. He also highlighted difficulties faced by Sri Lankans in Italy receiving special sojourn permissions for hardship or illness, requesting action to resolve Foreign Ministry certification and passport-related documentation bottlenecks that prevent them from working or moving freely. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism JJB AI summary The Minister said the integration of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Foreign Employment was intended to increase foreign inflows through tourism, remittances and investment while restoring Sri Lanka’s international standing after the economic crisis and debt restructuring process. He outlined ongoing diplomatic and economic engagements with India, China, the UAE, Japan, the EU, the US and multilateral bodies, including planned MoUs, grant-funded projects, refinery proposals, GSP+ review preparations, and measures to address potential US tariff impacts through market diversification and investment promotion. He also reported progress on consular digitization, including online applications for civil certificates through missions abroad, and said discussions with Italy on driving licence recognition are continuing after issues arose over differing Sri Lankan licence formats. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 15 March 2025 The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy moved the customary Rs. 10 reduction under Head No. 112 during the Committee Stage of the Appropriation Bill, 2025, and argued that foreign affairs should be used more strategically to advance economic diplomacy, digital economy linkages, export markets, diaspora engagement, tourism, food security, and social priorities. He called for region-specific diplomatic planning, stronger embassy roles, and structured engagement with Sri Lankans and other supporters abroad beyond remittances and fundraising. He specifically urged urgent action to renew or resolve driving licence conversion arrangements for Sri Lankans in Italy and Poland, noting that unresolved administrative issues are restricting employment opportunities. He also proposed improved digital remittance channels, higher-value tourism products, and reforms to hotel and skills training. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025, Twenty-first Allotted Day - Committee Stage, Head 112 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism) Read →
- 14 March 2025 Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB AI summary Hon. Ajith P. Perera raised Question 155/2024 seeking details of the Government’s agreement with the Adani Group on solar and wind power generation. He requested information on the terms of the agreement, pricing or tariff arrangements, project scope, implementation status, and any related approvals or procurement procedures. Oral Questions and Answers Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK AI summary The Member criticized the timing of local election nominations during the Budget Committee Stage, saying it hindered MPs’ participation in Parliament. He argued that while taxation is necessary, the Government’s tax policy has burdened lower and middle-level IT workers while continuing large tax incentives, including to major IT companies, and called for action to enable PayPal inflows to support online businesses. He also raised concerns about alleged misconduct by governing party organizers in Batticaloa, including threats and an assault complaint, and urged the Prime Minister to intervene while asking the Digital Economy Ministry to support rural IT access and promote technology investment beyond Colombo. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Arun Hemachandra - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment JJB AI summary Arun Hemachandra supported the Budget proposals for the Ministry of Digital Economy, arguing that digitalization is essential for transparency, good governance and reducing corruption, fraud and wastage. He defended the proposed digital ID system, including biometric use, stating that security measures such as encryption and encoding would be applied and citing international implementation as context. He said digital tools could improve data-driven decision-making in agriculture, fisheries, transport, livestock, public administration, foreign employment selection and consular services, and noted that GovPay and a proposed single-window investor platform were part of the Government’s broader digitalization agenda. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Mujibur Rahman SJB AI summary Hon. Mujibur Rahman questioned the procedure used to award a biometric data project, noting that a previous tender involving Madras Security Printers had been cancelled and asking whether a fresh tender was called. He raised concerns about reports that the project would be given to an Indian company with Indian grant funding, arguing that this created transparency and data-protection issues and asking what role and locations the company would cover. He also asked how any Sri Lankan company handling data entry was selected and whether it followed a tender process. He criticised reliance on assurances about officials or advisers, citing concerns about past handling of telecommunications data in a criminal investigation. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. Ajith P. Perera SJB AI summary Ajith P. Perera called for accelerated implementation of key digital governance reforms, noting that the Personal Data Protection Act is not yet fully operational and urging urgent passage of a long-delayed Cybersecurity law. He proposed modernizing tax collection through automated digital assessment, citing Finland’s model, and urged completion of the National Data and Identity Interoperability Platform to enable secure identity verification and information exchange across public and private institutions. He also argued that ICTA’s current institutional model should be replaced and called for rapid scaling of court automation to reduce delays, improve evidence management, and support investor confidence in contract enforcement. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 11 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva SJB AI summary Dr. Harsha de Silva expressed support for building Sri Lanka’s digital public infrastructure, including a biometric-backed digital identity system based on the open-source MOSIP model, and welcomed the involvement of experts such as Dr. Hans Wijesuriya. He argued that a secure unique digital identity could improve authentication, reduce public finance leakages, and better target services and subsidies, rejecting concerns that such systems would transfer biometric data to India by citing the experience of the 1990 Suwa Seriya service. He questioned the parallel effort to issue a new digital version of the existing physical National Identity Card, saying it may be unnecessary and a waste of money if a foundational biometric digital ID system is being developed. Appropriation Bill, 2025 – Committee Stage Debate (Heads 186, 196, 227) Read →
- 10 March 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) Ruwan Ranasinghe - Deputy Minister of Tourism JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister said the North-Western Province has not fully benefited from tourism despite its historical, cultural and natural assets, and outlined plans to develop sites in Kurunegala and Puttalam including Kalpitiya, Wilpattu, Ridi Vihara, Hettikuchchi Vihara and Ethkanda Vihara. He stated that a “North-Western Cultural Quadrangle” project, a provincial tourism master plan, and a national programme to develop 100 attractions with Rs. 10 million per site would support infrastructure, conservation and promotion, with Members invited to nominate sites. He also noted allocations of Rs. 8 million for the master plan and over Rs. 100 million through the Provincial Council, and said the Government intends to expand inclusive and sustainable tourism benefits to communities across the province, including improved access to Wilpattu from the Puttalam side. Adjournment Motion: Development of North-Western Province as a Tourist Destination Read →
- 8 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha clarified that IMF-related benchmarks are part of a collaborative programme rather than mandatory dictates, and said Sri Lanka can discuss or renegotiate implementation if unforeseen circumstances arise. He stated that the September structural benchmark concerns establishing an effective VAT refund system, and noted that the IMF Managing Director had reaffirmed continued support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery. He also said initial stakeholder consultations had begun on using technology such as ASYCUDA, point-of-sale systems and e-invoicing to improve VAT refunds. Question by Private Notice: Proposed Abolition of Simplified Value Added Tax Read →