Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka toured the Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province covering all three districts to understand the ground situation in the Province; India is one of the countries in the troika appointed for the United Nations Human Rights Counci
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    • According to reports, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K Kantha toured the Eastern Province covering all three districts, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara to understand the ground situation in the Province and explore opportunities for further development of economic, cultural and people-to-people links in the East. During his visit from May 24-27, 2012, the High Commissioner separately interacted with leaders and other representatives of major political parties including SLFP, UNP, SLMC, ACMC, NC, TNA and TMVP and religious leaders and members of civil society. Kantha also met with the Security Forces Commander (East) and Commander Eastern Naval Area to review the security arrangements in the former Tamil Tiger stronghold. The High Commissioner and the Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan inaugurated a Vocational Training Centre set up with Indian assistance of Rs. 76 million in the Batticaloa district. Kantha also handed over 15 trishaws to war-affected women in two separate events at Valachennai in Batticaloa district and Akkaraipattu in Ampara district. Apart from Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara, High Commissioner also visited Kalmunai, Kattankudy, Siharam, Onthachimadam, Valachennai and Akkaraipattu where he interacted with local communities and representatives of local bodies. 1

    In another development, reports noted that India is one of the countries in the troika appointed for the United Nations Human Rights Council's 14th session of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process on Sri Lanka. Benin and Spain are the other two countries in the troika appointed for the review of Sri Lanka scheduled for 1st of November, 2012. Adoption of the report on Sri Lanka is scheduled for 5th of November. All three countries in the troika have voted in support of the UN resolution on Sri Lanka, sponsored by the United States and adapted by the UN Human Rights Council at the 19th sessions of UNHRC in Geneva on March 22. 2

    Reports noted that Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand the bilateral relations between the two countries and hold regular consultations between the respective foreign ministries. The MoU was signed during the visit of Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister, Prof. G. L. Peiris to Kazakhstan on May 24th and 25th at the invitation of Kazakhstan Foreign Affairs Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov. 3

    According to reports, SupremeSAT (Pvt) Ltd. signed the investment agreement with the Board of Investment on May 23 with very ambitious plans to take Sri Lanka into the global space race. With an initial investment of USD 20 million which will be further increased up to USD 320 million, the company's long-term plan is to utilize the Planned Orbital Slot of Sri Lanka, which is located at 50 degrees East and launch SupremeSAT - the country's first ever telecommunications satellite. 4

    In other developments, Sri Lanka will renovate the pilgrims rest at Lumbini in Nepal at a cost of 65 million rupees, Sri Lankan government announced on May 24. 5

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