Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage, has been elected as the President of the Sri Lanka-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Association for the Tenth Parliament of Sri Lanka.
At the revival meeting of the Association held in Parliament this week (06 Aug), HMP Hector Appuhamy was elected as the Secretary of the Association.
The appointments were made during a meeting of the Sri Lanka-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Association held under the patronage of the Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to Sri Lanka, Damiano Francovigh, attended the event as the Guest of Honour. Several Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, and the Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament were also present on this occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne highlighted the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and Italy, which dates back to the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in May 1952.
He noted that over the years, this relationship has evolved into a strong partnership covering political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people dimensions. He emphasized that the revival of the Friendship Association reaffirms the shared commitment of both nations to promoting democratic values and fostering meaningful engagement between the two legislatures.
Italian Ambassador Damiano Francovigh congratulated the newly elected office bearers and expressed appreciation for the enthusiasm shown by Members of Parliament in engaging with the Friendship Association.
He also read out a congratulatory message from the President of the Italy-South Asia Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Union. The Ambassador further noted that the collaboration between Italy and Sri Lanka spans a diverse range of sectors, all contributing to mutual growth, and emphasized that this renewed cooperation lays a solid foundation for a promising future together.
In his remarks, the newly elected President, Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, expressed his gratitude to the members for electing him and noted that the Association would serve as an important platform for dialogue and cooperation between the two countries. He also invited members to actively participate in the initiatives of the Association to ensure the success of its objectives.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the newly elected Secretary, MP Hector Appuhamy, thanked the Speaker, the Ambassador, and fellow members for their support and expressed his commitment to work collaboratively to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between Sri Lanka and Italy.
Prior to the meeting, the Ambassador of Italy to Sri Lanka met with the Speaker to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Italy.
During the meeting, both parties focused on enhancing cooperation in key areas such as trade, tourism, culture, and people-to-people connections.
The Ambassador also informed the Speaker about the upcoming visit of the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister to Sri Lanka in September, noting that this visit is expected to pave the way for further initiatives to deepen bilateral ties. (Newswire)
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