August 26, 2020 Distinguished guests, teachers, staff and students, as-salamu alaykum, Vannakum, Ayubowan and good morning. I’m pleased to be here today to help formally open this beautiful addition to the Khoonitheevu school, and most importantly, to meet with some of the engaging young people who are studying here. Thank you for giving me the …
Read More» Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz Transcript of the Virtual Media Roundtable On the Record June 15, 2020 Ambassador Teplitz: Good afternoon, everyone. It’s great to see some familiar faces. I feel like we have all learned a lot during the last couple of months, particularly how to engage meaningfully across video platforms. I hope the next …
Read More» February 17, 2020 District Governor Senake Amerasinghe Rotary World President Mark Daniel Maloney Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you Senake for organizing this special event tonight and thank you Mark for joining all the way from Alabama. It’s a pleasure to be with you tonight to celebrate the long, productive presence Rotary has had in Sri …
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December 11, 2019 I want to than Equal Ground for inviting me to speak tonight to mark on International Human Rights Day, and of course it’s the last day of 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. As Rosanna told us, the struggle to universally enshrine and protect human rights is not a new …
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December 3, 2019 Good morning distinguished guests, conference organizers. It’s a pleasure to be here, and I want to thank the Colombo School of Business and Management and the Women’s International Foundation for inviting me to speak at this important and I think very timely event. Shortly after the recent presidential election here in Sri …
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August 22, 2019 Good morning, everyone. Ayubowan. Vanakkam. Asalam Alaikum. It’s good to see everybody in the audience today and I want to especially thank the very distinguished group of speakers who came before me for their words of inspiration and I think explanation about why everyone is here today. And of course with the …
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[As delivered] August 15, 2019 Ambassador Teplitz: — This gathering represents a very diverse array of economic sectors. I really think this is the future of the Sri Lankan economy that we’re looking at here. I want to thank Acting President, Presantha Jayamaha, and I want to thank Nuzreth Jaladeen in particular, for inviting me …
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[As delivered] June 30, 2019 Good evening. It’s a pleasure to see everybody here. I’m very pleased to join you at the third annual general meeting. And thank you very much to Asanka and Samantha for inviting me to speak with you tonight. I think it’s a great opportunity to address some of the business …
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July 2, 2019 Hilton Hotel, Colombo Thank you all so much for joining us tonight. It is my absolute honor to welcome you to the 243rd Independence Day celebration of the United States of America. Our theme tonight is “Share America.” We want to share with you what it means to each of us, my …
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June 25, 2019 Good afternoon, I’m happy to provide some food for thought as we talk about this topic. As Nuzreth said, I’m interested in this topic and she told me when we first met, oh by the way, we’re doing this series and I leapt on the opportunity. So thank you for indulging me …
Read More» June 10, 2019 Good evening. It’s a pleasure to be here with you, to join you tonight to celebrate Equal Ground’s 2019 Pride gathering and to see so many of you here in support of equality and inclusion for the LGBTIQ community. I want to extend special congratulations to those receiving the Equality Warrior Awards …
Read More» Governor Hizbullah, Member of Parliament A.L.M. Nazeer, teachers, staff and students, good afternoon and as-salamu alaykum. I’m delighted to be here this morning to formally open this beautiful addition to the Kariapper school, and most importantly, to meet with some of the engaging young people who are studying here. And let me thank the students …
Read More» Governor Hizbullah, Member of Parliament A.L.M. Nazeer, teachers, staff and students, good afternoon and as-salamu alaykum. I’m delighted to be here this morning to formally open this beautiful addition to the An Noor school, and most importantly, to meet with some of the engaging young people who are studying here. And let me thank the …
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March 18, 2019 Good afternoon, and thank you to Country Representative Dinesha Wickramanayake and to the Asia Foundation for inviting me to speak with you today about trafficking in persons on behalf of U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Alaina Teplitz. It’s my pleasure to also welcome you all to this event and thank …
Read More» As delivered It is a pleasure to see a very full room here today, and I want to thank Minister Samaraweera for his kind remarks. Thank you for joining us Chamber President, members of the board, friends, and partners. It’s really a pleasure to help launch the American Corner today. As the Minister highlighted, this …
Read More» Colombo, Sri Lanka February 14, 2019 REMARKS AS DELIVERED Thank you very much. It’s a great pleasure to be here and it’s really a great honor to be at this table with two luminaries. It’s a great pleasure to be next to the Ambassador who has a very extraordinary and distinguished career including service as …
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January 28, 2019 Ayubowan. Vanakkam. Asalam alaikum. Good morning. It is a pleasure to join you here. I appreciate being invited to offer a word of encouragement and support at the National Inter Religious Symposium. In the United States, as Dr. Perera said, we celebrate our differences in our communities. We have many different ethnic …
Read More» December 10, 2018 Question: When you found out that you had been appointed as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, what were your initial thoughts? It is an honour to be nominated as an Ambassador to any country, but I was especially happy because I have spent many years of my career in South Asia …
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November 29, 2018 Thank you for the kind introduction. I’m very delighted to be here. I think as I’ve said to several of you as I walked in, the first four weeks of my time in Colombo have been consumed by events that you’re reading about in the paper every day, and I have a …
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November 15, 2018 Hilton Hotel, Colombo Thank you, and good evening. I’m really pleased that this can be one of my first public events in Colombo. It’s an opportunity to celebrate something I enjoy very much, which of course is food, and a double pleasure to be able to do it to showcase American cuisine …
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AMB Wells remarks at IOC – Tamil (PDF 247 KB) AMB Wells remarks at IOC – Sinhala (PDF 437 KB) Ambassador Wells: — I want to thank our hosts for this vitally important Track 1.5 dialogue. It’s a real pleasure to be here. I’d like to focus my remarks on two distinct ways in which the United States has taken concrete steps today to deepen our commitment to the …
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[As prepared] October 5, 2018 It is a great pleasure to be here today and to have the opportunity to inaugurate this program, funded through the U.S. Department of State’s “Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation.” The Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation is one of the most important, exciting and successful programs that we run through …
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EvalColombo2018, Global Parliamentarians’ Forum for Evaluation Colombo September 17, 2018 Good evening, Honorable Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe; Professor Maitree Wickremasinghe; Minister Kabir Hashim; Deputy Speaker of Parliament; Parliamentarians; honorable members of governments; distinguished guests; and ladies and gentlemen. It is an honor to share this evening with you. EvalColombo2018, “Responsible Parliaments – Embracing Evaluation for …
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August 17, 2018 Alagalle School, Vavuniya Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for being here. It is a delight on behalf of the U.S. Embassy to welcome Major General Jim Eifert and our colleagues from the Sri Lankan Air Force for what is the 11th Operation Pacific Angel. U.S. and Sri Lankan military and civilian …
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Colombo, August 9, 2018 Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, State Minister V.S. Radhakrishnan, Professor Nayani Melagoda, Peace Corps Country Director Kris Besch, and other distinguished guests, good morning. I am delighted to be here for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education and the Peace Corps. Indeed, the Peace Corps ethos …
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U.S. Chamber of Commerce Washington, DC July 30, 2018 ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Thank you, and good morning. Thank you for the kind introduction, Selina. Good morning, everyone. So as Selina’s kind words suggest, I’ve had a varied career, covering many sectors and many shores. What hasn’t changed along the way is my admiration for our Chamber and …
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July 30, 2018 Thanks very much. Thank you for the opportunity to say a few remarks and to join you on this, the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Special thanks to Simrin Singh and to the team at the ILO for organizing this event. Let me also acknowledge the Ministry of Telecommunications, Digital Infrastructure, …
Read More» Michael R. Pompeo Secretary of State Indo-Pacific Business Forum U.S. Chamber of Commerce Washington, DC July 30, 2018 SECRETARY POMPEO: Good morning, everyone. It’s great to be with you. Thank you, Tom, for the kind introduction. Thanks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for having me here and hosting this important Indo-Pacific Business Forum as well. …
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July 19, 2018 Colombo Chargé d’Affaires Hilton: Thank you, I appreciate it. The bio as well. Bruce, you said you felt like you were performing in front of a circus. To me it feels like I ought to be dressed in a traditional Kandyan outfit in a celebrity wedding or perhaps a cricketer’s wedding of …
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Thank you Pamela and congratulations to all of the cadets here on joining Sri Lanka’s Foreign Service. I started my own diplomatic career 30 years ago and have enjoyed every minute of it, from my first assignment in Tunis to this posting as Deputy Chief of Mission in Colombo. I wish you every success representing …
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Ambassador Keshap: Thank you so much. Honorable Prime Minister, we are really delighted to have you here today to help us kick off this very happy event. And ladies and gentlemen, I want to extend to you a very warm welcome and my thanks to all of you as well for making it out to …
Read More» [As prepared] Admiral Attygalle, Admiral De Silva, Captain Bretz, Captain Roberts, senior government officials, colleagues, partners, friends, good evening. To those joining us from the USNS Mercy, on behalf of U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Atul Keshap and all the personnel of the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, welcome to Sri Lanka. We are …
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Robert Hilton Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Colombo, Sri Lanka March 6, 2018 On behalf of U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Atul Keshap and all of us at the U.S. Embassy, welcome to Sri Lanka and thank you for coming. State Minister for Power and Renewable Energy Perera, Secretary Batagoda, Chairman Hewamana, …
Read More» February 28, 2018 Colombo Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training, Honorable Chandima Weerakkody; Secretary, Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training, Mr. Piyasena Ranepura; Microsoft Country Manager, Mr. Hasitha Abeywardana; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen; good morning and welcome! I am delighted to join you today to launch the “Youthworks” portal, a joint initiative …
Read More» “Our government’s first duty is to its people, to our citizens — to serve their needs, to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights, and to defend their values. ” – President Donald J. Trump A NEW NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY FOR A NEW ERA: Less than a year after taking office, President Donald J. Trump is …
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Governor Bogollagama, Member of Parliament Moulana, teachers, staff and students, good afternoon and as-salamu alaykum. I’m delighted to be here today to formally open this beautiful addition to the Bathuriya Vidyalaya school, and most importantly, to meet with some of the engaging young people who are studying here. And let me thank the students who …
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Remarks delivered by Under Secretary for Political Affairs Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. at the U.S.-Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue Colombo, Sri Lanka November 6, 2017 Thank you very much, Mr. Foreign Secretary. What a great pleasure to be here today in Colombo, and what a great pleasure to be standing here with you, sir. As you noted, we worked together …
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Joint Statement from the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka on the Second U.S. – Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue November 6, 2017 Sharing a commitment to democracy, rule of law, and the prosperity and well-being of our peoples, Sri Lanka and the United States convened the second Partnership …
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Ambassador Atul Keshap and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe attended the inauguration of an innovation center created by Star Garments, a division of the U.S.-based Komar company, last week. “American companies bring the best and highest standards of ethics, of design, of innovation, of technology, of responsible management, and absolutely cutting edge environmental responsibility,” said Ambassador …
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Remarks Rex W. Tillerson Secretary of State John J. Hamre, CEO for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Center for Strategic & International Studies Washington, DC October 18, 2017 SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, thank you so much, John, and it is a real pleasure to be back in the building. And I was asking John …
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At the Galle Dialogue 2017, Admiral Scott Swift emphasized, “Engagement and building trust remains a critical part of maintaining the inclusive security network that sustains the rules-based order and helps protect freedom of the seas for the benefit of all nations.” Admiral Swift also noted, “Just as nations and their maritime forces have the ability …
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[As prepared] Thank you Ravin for the warm introduction. It’s a pleasure to join you once again for the Annual General Meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka. I would like to thank the AmCham Board of Directors for hosting this event and Radika and her staff for all the hard work …
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Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, it’s a pleasure to be here on behalf of Admiral Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. He regrets not being able to attend, and sends his best regards. I would like to thank the organizing committee and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as committee chair, for all your tireless efforts in …
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Indian Ocean Conference 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka September 1, 2017 AS DELIVERED I want to thank the India Foundation and our partners in Singapore and Sri Lanka for your leadership in organizing this conference. And let me begin by reaffirming a longstanding facet of U.S. foreign policy: that the United States is and will continue …
Read More» The events taking place in the Majlis over the past few days are disturbing and unfortunate. A free and fair Parliament governed by impartial rules is essential to the proper functioning of any healthy democracy. I call upon the Government of Maldives to ensure that the Majlis function freely in accordance with Maldivian law and …
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Dr. Pradeepa Wigetunge, Mr. R.P. Perera, members of the board of the Sri Lanka Library Association (SLLA), thank you for inviting me to join you today. Recipients of certificates and medals, awards and fellowships, congratulations to you. This is your day. And congratulations to your family members and friends who are here as well. On …
Read More» On July 4th, Americans around the world gather to celebrate our nation’s Declaration of Independence. The American Founding Fathers had a vision of a democratic nation where every individual would enjoy certain “inalienable Rights,” including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Since 1776 the American people have striven, sometimes slowly and imperfectly but always …
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Ladies and gentlemen, it is a delight to see all of you today, especially during this very holy month of Ramadan. Even as we are all gathered here tonight for this iftar, I’m reminded that all across the United States there are millions of Muslim Americans who are also gathering to celebrate iftar with their …
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It is a real honor for me to welcome all of you tonight to the United States Embassy’s Iftar gathering. It is particularly an honor for me to see all of the fellow Ambassadors and Ministers, leaders of political parties, Honorable Mr. Secretary, leaders from civil society, people from all walks of life, friends of …
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I’ve had a very productive set of meetings today. I met with His Excellency, the President, and also the Foreign and Defense and Economy Ministers. It’s a real pleasure and a delight to be back in Male and to see so many friends from around Maldivian society. I had the privilege of visiting Addu yesterday …
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American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka /Asia Foundation June 6, 2017 I want to thank the entire American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (AmCham) for putting this together. It’s great to partner with you guys. AmChams all around the broader Indo-Pacific are a wonderful way for American companies to show their value, transparency, highest standards of …
Read More» June 3, 2017 It was my great honor today to pay a call on President Sirisena and convey to him the condolences and sympathies of the American people for all of the loss of life of the flooding taken place in southern Sri Lanka in the past week. I also informed him that we had made …
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Remarks as prepared for delivery Thank You. I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words, and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting today’s summit. I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts. I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your citizens, but …
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MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump; Acting Deputy Secretary of State Tom Shannon; and the 2017 International Women of Courage Award recipients. (Applause.) UNDER SECRETARY SHANNON: Good morning. It’s my great pleasure to welcome you to the State Department and the 2017 International Women of Courage …
Read More» Statement of the United States of America as delivered by William J. Mozdzierz Geneva, March 22, 2017 Thank you, Mr. High Commissioner, for your comprehensive report. The United States also appreciates the Government of Sri Lanka’s cooperation with your Office and relevant special procedure mandate holders. Since September 2015, Sri Lanka has taken important steps …
Read More» Remarks by Ambassador Bruce Wharton, Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Sri Lanka National Day Reception February 6, 2017 Organization of American States, Washington, D.C. (as prepared for delivery) Thank you, Ambassador Kariyawasam, for that kind introduction, and for all the great work that you’ve done during your tenure as …
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THE PRESIDENT: Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you. We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people. Together, we will determine the course of …
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The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi on Non-Violent Teachings for Inter-Ethnic and Religious Harmony [As prepared] Good evening. It is such a pleasure to join you tonight to discuss the legacy of civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. Thank you so much for participating in this …
Read More» Q:What are the key engagement points between the US and Sri Lanka? A:We have the Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA), which has given us a platform to discuss the entire waterfront of Sri Lanka’s economic and trade issues. I think we have a great way forward to develop a plan of action spanning trade between US …
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Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It’s great to see so many of you here, and it’s a real honor and pleasure to address you. First of all, greetings to my good friend Harsha de Silva. He’s a great guy. He hears me speak all the time, so he can pay no attention and take no …
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Thanks, Admiral Wijegunaratne for that kind introduction. In addition to being an expert in asymmetric naval warfare and special boat operations, the Admiral is also a well-known Rugby player – definitely a man you’d want on your side! So I’m pleased to call him friend. I’d also like to express my gratitude to the Sri …
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[As prepared] Rev. Dr. James Moos, Executive Minister, Co-Executive Global Ministries Rev. Dr. Deenabandhu Manchala, Area Executive for Southern Asia, Global Ministries Rev Devasagayam Devanesan, Chairperson Rt. Rev Bishop Duleep De Chickera, Former Anglican Bishop of Colombo Rev Asiri P. Perera, President of the Methodist Conference in Sri Lanka Mrs. Lakshani Fernando, General Secretary of the Ceylon Bible Society Rev A.B. Thevathas …
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[As prepared] Remarks by Deputy Chief of Mission Robert B.Hilton On the Occasion of the 200th Anniversary of the American Ceylon Mission Dr. James Moos, Chairperson Reverend Devasagayam Devanesan, Bishop of Jaffna Right Reverend Dr. Justin Gnanapragasam, Father Jude Sutharshan, members of the clergy, lay leaders in the church, representatives of government and civil society, friends: It is a privilege to …
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Hosted by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Organized by the Global Center on Cooperative Security With the support of the Governments of Australia and the United States of America Colombo, Sri Lanka October 3, 2016 State Secretary, High Commissioner, colleagues from the United Nations, conference participants, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. It …
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Honored guests, ladies, gentlemen. Good afternoon to you all. It is an honor to be invited to address such a distinguished gathering of women leaders and professionals. You are knocking down barriers for women every day in Sri Lanka – and reaching back to mentor young leaders. You are helping to build a stronger, more …
Read More» As Prepared: Good afternoon everyone and thank you to everyone who helped organize this event today. A special thanks to project co-directors Professor P.B. Mandawala and architect Prasanna Ratnayake, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Sampath Amaratuge, friends from the Central Cultural Fund, Galle Maritime Archaeological Museum, Galle Heritage Foundation, and other distinguished guests. …
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As prepared Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Good morning to you all. I consider it a great pleasure and honor to speak to such a distinguished audience, at this national conference on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). It has become evident that an important trend in economic and social development is taking place in countries around the …
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Good Morning. I want thank the government of Sri Lanka, particularly minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, Honorable Mr Malik Samarawickrama for hosting this intersessional meeting today. As a relatively small island economy, Sri Lanka’s economy depends, to a considerable extent, on international external trade. As has been mentioned, the U.S. has been Sri …
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Thank you to the Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Honorable Malik Samarawickrema. I would also like to thank my colleagues from the U.S. government here today. Ambassador Keshap – thank you for hosting us. Mike [Delaney] – as always, it is great to work with you. I’m excited to be here representing the …
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On behalf of the American delegation, I am delighted to speak at the outset of these Trade and Investment Facilitation Agreement (TIFA) Inter-sessional discussions, which are a sign of the rapid progress in expanding the already rich economic bonds between Sri Lanka and the United States. I want to thank the government of Sri Lanka …
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Thank you so much for joining us on this beautiful rooftop on an absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous evening here in Jaffna. I have a few prepared remarks. The first thing I want to say – and I know I am going to get points off for pronunciation – is Vanakkam. And the second important thing I …
Read More» The first American missionaries arrived in Jaffna in 1813, when the Rev. Samuel Newell founded the first American schools in Thellipalai. Those schools were the first of hundreds of schools and medical centers that provided for the people of northern Sri Lanka. Continuing this deep connection between our two nations, this week Jaffna is welcoming …
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Full Remarks (As Delivered) Let me welcome all of the senior government officials, private sector representatives, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the Government and the people of the United States, I want to welcome all of you to the National Trade Portal and Single Window Best Practices Forum. I particularly want to thank Honorable …
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I am going to ask everyone to come a little bit closer and enjoy the sunset, to take a look and look at the beautiful hospitality that our Sri Lankan hosts have afforded us tonight. I want to recognize the honorable ministers who are in attendance. It is a real honor for me and for the …
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[As delivered] Good evening. I have not been keeping track how often I’ve been coming to Sri Lanka until I saw the papers when I landed, which noted this is my sixth visit in twenty months. It is wonderful to be back here in Colombo, and wonderful to see so many distinguished friends, Ministers, and …
Read More» July 13, 2016 Good evening. It is such a pleasure to be with all of you here today. Robert, thank you. I don’t know if you all know, but Robert just took up his charge as Deputy Chief of Mission a little over a week ago. Ambassador Keshap has such tremendous confidence in him that …
Read More» Sinhala Translation Tamil Translation Assistant Secretary Nisha Biswal Thank you Mr. Minister for the very warm and gracious welcome, and also for the very productive meeting that we’ve had today. This visit and this meeting builds on a tremendous trajectory of partnership between our two countries and enumerated some of the key touch points of that relationship, including last …
Read More» July 12, 2016 Sinhala Translation (PDF 776 KB) Tamil Translation (PDF 246 KB) Assistant Secretary Nisha Biswal Thank you Mr. Minister for the very warm and gracious welcome, and also for the very productive meeting that we’ve had today. This visit and this meeting builds on a tremendous trajectory of partnership between our two countries and enumerated some of the key …
Read More» July 4, 2016 Each year on July 4th, Americans all around the world gather with friends and family to celebrate our Independence Day, honoring the date in 1776 when our country’s founders gathered in Philadelphia to imagine a self-governing democracy where all people, having been created equal, would be entitled to life and liberty, and …
Read More» June 28, 2016 Sinhala Translation (PDF 137 KB) Tamil Translation (PDF 90.8 KB) [As prepared] Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m delighted to join you for the 177th Annual General Meeting of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the country’s oldest and most influential business organization. It is my great honor to be chosen as your chief guest. I would like to …
Read More» June 27, 2016 Honorable Ministers, Distinguished Guests, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Friends, AssalaamuAlekhum. I would like to welcome all of you this evening for this Iftar dinner to break your fasts during this holy month of Ramadan. Americans have been participating in Iftar meals for a long time. Over 200 years ago, one of …
Read More» June 22, 2016 Ladies and gentlemen, assalaamu alaykum and Ramadan Mubarak. On behalf of the women and men of the U.S. Embassy, including the many members of the Embassy who are here today, it is an honor to join so many friends and distinguished guests in Malé to celebrate tonight’s breaking of the fast. I extend my …
Read More» May 19, 2016 First, let me express my condolences on behalf of the men and women of the U.S. Embassy to the families affected by the recent landslides and flooding in various parts of Sri Lanka. I want to assure you we stand in solidarity with the Government of Sri Lanka and the victims as …
Read More» May 16, 2016, Water’s Edge Hotel, Colombo Sinhala Translation (PDF 1.1 MB) Tamil Translation (PDF 64.1 KB) Honorable Minister, Members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, It is an honor to address this gathering as you discuss the creation of a Right to Information bill designed to enhance citizens’ access to transparency and insight about their government. Any democracy requires that government …
Read More» April 28, 2016 There were two reasons that I flew down from New York at the crack of dawn this morning to join you. The first is that I fell in love with Sri Lankan food during my visits, and I was told there were going to be string hoppers, curries, and pol sambol here, …
Read More» April 6, 2016 Dhivehi translation (PDF 109 KB) Ladies and gentlemen, Assalaam Alaikum. I would like to extend from the bottom of my heart my warm greetings to all of you who have joined us here tonight from all parts of Maldivian society, and I also want to recognize the women and men from the United States Embassy …
Read More» March 29, 2016, Water’s Edge, Colombo Sinhala translation (PDF 479 KB) Tamil translation (PDF 27.8 KB) Thank you so very much to all of you for attending. Honorable and respected Prime Minister, Honorable and respected Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Secretary-General, distinguished and Honorable Ministers and Members of Parliament, resource persons; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I wish you a very hearty …
Read More» March 28,2016 Sinhala translation (PDF 114 KB) Tamil translation (PDF 27.8 KB) Admiral Aucoin, thank you very much for your kind remarks and thank you very much for bringing this ship and her crew here. It is a delight to have you all here. I’m going to be very brief. First of all, in the South Asian context, rain is always …
Read More» March 8, 2016 Sinhala Translation (PDF 78.8 KB) Tamil Translation (PDF 494 KB) International Women’s Day began as an annual tradition more than 100 years ago initially as a way to honor women’s role in labor, advocate for political rights, and end discrimination in the workplace. Every year on March 8, people around the world reflect on the progress women have …
Read More» February 25, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: I’m very happy to welcome my friend Mangala Samaraweera here, the foreign minister of Sri Lanka. I had wonderful occasion to visit with him in Sri Lanka, and I want to congratulate the Government of Sri Lanka for their very impressive continuing steps towards reconciliation. Their efforts to try to …
Read More» February 11, 2016 Sinhala translation (PDF 67.7 KB) Tamil translation (PDF 38.9 KB) Assalaamu alaykum to all of you. It is a great honor and privilege for me to come here to learn not only about the Grand Mosque, but also to learn about the 1200 years of history, of rich history of Islam in Sri Lanka. Islam is a religion …
Read More» February 4, 2016 Thank you, Ambassador Kariyawasam, for that kind introduction, and the honor of your invitation. And I must say that I’m incredibly excited to visit your beautiful country later this month and see the progress already made on our new embassy complex. 68 years ago today, Sri Lanka found itself in good company …
Read More» December 16, 2015 Sinhala translation (PDF 97.2 KB) Tamil translation (PDF 95.5 KB) Good morning, and to all of you Ayubowan, Vanakkam. Thank you for being here. It’s a tremendous honor and a great pleasure to be here today. Thank you, Mr. Minister, for your very kind introduction. To be at this respected institute, named in honor of the late and …
Read More» December 15, 2015 Sinhala translation (PDF 904 KB) Tamil translation (PDF 62.1 KB) I want to acknowledge the Eastern Province Governor, Ambassador Kariyawasm, the Opposition Leader, and the Chief Minister. This is my first visit to Sri Lanka and my first visit to South Asia. We arrived last evening. This morning I had the great pleasure of looking out to a …
Read More» December 14, 2015 Sinhala Translation (PDF 904 KB) Tamil Translation (PDF 42.5 KB) I am happy to be in Sri Lanka for my first visit during this time of progress and opportunity. Sri Lanka is moving forward, and its leaders and people are now working together to usher in reforms to put the country on the long-term path to peace, stability, …
Read More» November 23, 2015 Ambassador Power met with Sri Lankan Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan on November 23, 2015, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ambassador Power congratulated Mr. Sampanthan on his historic appointment as opposition leader and praised his engagement with the Sirisena administration to address long-standing aspirations of Tamil communities, including demilitarization of the north and east, …
Read More» November 23, 2015 Sinhala translation (PDF 151 KB) Tamil translation (PDF 134 KB) AMBASSADOR POWER: Thank you so much, all of you, for being here. Thank you, Dharisha. And let me say the – there is a mutual admiration society that we can create, because, as all of you know, Dharisha is a very distinguished journalist. And what’s most impressive about …
Read More» November 23, 2015 Ambassador Power met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on November 23, 2015, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ambassador Power congratulated Prime Minister Wickremesinghe on reforms initiated so far to restore the pillars of democracy, release prisoners, resettle displaced persons, create an accountability mechanism for past abuses, and consult broadly across society …
Read More» November 23, 2015 Ambassador Power met with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on November 23, 2015, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ambassador Power relayed President Obama’s warm greetings and thanked President Sirisena for his early steps to restore the key pillars of democracy, to reestablish good governance in support of economic growth, and to foster reconciliation …
Read More» November 22, 2015 Sinhala translation (PDF 67.3 KB) Tamil translation (PDF 133 KB) Vanakkam! Thank you, Minister Gurukularaja for that kind introduction. Thank you, Principal Ashraf, for inviting me to visit your marvellous College. And thank you Chief Minister Wigneswaram for finding the time to join us today. Thanks to all of you for having me! It is an honor and really a wonderful …
Read More» November 22, 2015 Hello, everybody. I’m also a former journalist. I represent a president in President Obama who believes in every fiber of his being of the importance of the press holding government accountable. And every one of you who has any role in putting this paper out day, after day, after day is playing …
Read More» November 21, 2015 Sinhala translation (PDF 1.2 MB) Tamil translation (PDF 91.5 KB) Mr. Minister, it’s wonderful to be here in Sri Lanka. I just touched down a few hours ago and I already feel immersed in the warmth and hospitality of your dynamic country – your dynamic and welcoming people. You reminded me in our meeting that we only met …
Read More» November 17, 2015 Wow look at this crowd. Fantastic! Ayubowan! Vanakkam! Nice to see everybody! Good morning everybody and thank you very much to all of you for coming this morning. I think it is pretty clear from the fantastic weather we have outside after about four or five days of rain that this proves …
Read More» November 14, 2015 Honorable Minister Sagala Ratnayaka, Your Excellency the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, High Commissioner of South Africa Geoff Doidge and Mrs. Doidge, General and Mrs. Banta, American Embassy colleagues and family members, members of the Colombo American community, and all distinguished guests, I bid you all a very good evening. I am …
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