Mr. Nakane, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan visits Sri Lanka
2018/8/30
August 30, 2018
Mr. Kazuyuki Nakane, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, visited Sri Lanka from 28 to 30 August 2018. During his stay, he participated in the Commissioning Ceremony of patrol vessels and held meetings with Sri Lankan government leaders in order to promote bilateral relationships between the two countries.
The Commissioning Ceremony of the two patrol vessels provided by Grant Aid from the Government of Japan, valued at 1.8 billion yen (2.3 billion LKR) was held on 29 August at the Colombo Port. State Minister Nakane emphasized that Japan has been supporting the maritime safety of Sri Lanka in order to realize a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific Ocean. Japan hopes that these vessels will improve the capacity of maritime law enforcement by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard Agency. These patrol vessels were named SLCGS SAMUDRA RAKSHA and SLCGS SAMARAKSHA by the Coast Guard.
State Minister Nakane also called on Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and had meetings with Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Navin Dissanayake, Minister of Plantation Industries, and Mr. Udaya Seneviratne, Secretary to the President. At these meetings, State Minister exchanged views and ways to further consolidate the “Japan-Sri Lanka Comprehensive Partnership” in such areas as maritime security and development cooperation, including through a new G7 Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Partnerships Initiative.
The G7 Initiative, which aims at accelerating positive change on gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and respect for their human rights to achieving and sustaining peace through the WPS, was agreed at the recent G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in April, 2018 (https://g7.gc.ca/en/g7-presidency/themes/building-peaceful-secure-world/g7-ministerial-meeting/g7-foreign-ministers-joint-communique/g7-women-peace-security-partnerships-initiative/). State Minister Nakane appreciated the acceptance by the Government of Sri Lanka to partner with Japan to advance the WPS agenda and expressed Japan’s intention to support the its efforts in cooperation with other G7 members.
The Commissioning Ceremony of the two patrol vessels provided by Grant Aid from the Government of Japan, valued at 1.8 billion yen (2.3 billion LKR) was held on 29 August at the Colombo Port. State Minister Nakane emphasized that Japan has been supporting the maritime safety of Sri Lanka in order to realize a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific Ocean. Japan hopes that these vessels will improve the capacity of maritime law enforcement by the Sri Lankan Coast Guard Agency. These patrol vessels were named SLCGS SAMUDRA RAKSHA and SLCGS SAMARAKSHA by the Coast Guard.
State Minister Nakane also called on Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and had meetings with Hon. Lakshman Kiriella, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Navin Dissanayake, Minister of Plantation Industries, and Mr. Udaya Seneviratne, Secretary to the President. At these meetings, State Minister exchanged views and ways to further consolidate the “Japan-Sri Lanka Comprehensive Partnership” in such areas as maritime security and development cooperation, including through a new G7 Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Partnerships Initiative.
The G7 Initiative, which aims at accelerating positive change on gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and respect for their human rights to achieving and sustaining peace through the WPS, was agreed at the recent G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in April, 2018 (https://g7.gc.ca/en/g7-presidency/themes/building-peaceful-secure-world/g7-ministerial-meeting/g7-foreign-ministers-joint-communique/g7-women-peace-security-partnerships-initiative/). State Minister Nakane appreciated the acceptance by the Government of Sri Lanka to partner with Japan to advance the WPS agenda and expressed Japan’s intention to support the its efforts in cooperation with other G7 members.