Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha has outlined the role and preparations of the Ministry of Foreign Relations and its missions across the world, in helping Sri Lanka tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing concerns of Sri Lankan nationals overseas.
Referring to Sri Lankan citizens abroad, he said “parents here in Sri Lanka, should rest a little bit more comfortably about their children, knowing that the Embassy is a phone call away and if there are issues on the ground that our Missions abroad will deal with it”.
If there is a real calamity, the Government of Sri Lanka will step in”. He said while dealing with the immediate concerns at hand, he said.
He added that the Ministry and Missions are working hard “to anticipate and prepare for any difficulties ahead and to further map out what they do the day after this problem is solved, particularly on the economic front”.
He revealed that Australian government has made some comments essentially about foreign visitors including Sri Lankans in that country with, visit visa which were tourists.
What they were trying to say was that they were encouraging those who were there on short term visas to get back home. That is each country’s decision, he added.
H claimed that Sri Lanka is looking after around 15,000 tourists eve by extending their visit visas and the government has no intention to ask them to go back to their countries at a time where the Katunayake International Airport is closed for air traffic.
Speaking on the country’s economic front, Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha said that it is essential to get the niche industries working.
This is a thought which must percolate right down to the worker in a factory. He or she is not only working for one’s self, but they also are keeping the clock going in terms of production and manufacture.
If factories close down, those who are on daily wages and irregular employment will lose their work, and create further complications for themselves, exports and the country, he pointed out.
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