Sri Lankan President arrives on official visit |28 June 2014

The President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, arrived in Seychelles yesterday afternoon for a three-day official visit.

President Rajapaksa, accompanied by his wife, First Lady Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa, was welcome on his descent from the plane by President James Michel, Vice-President Danny Faure, Designated Minister Vincent Meriton and newly accredited Sri Lankan high commissioner to Seychelles, Rajatha Piyatissa.

President Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa received flowers from four beautifully dressed school girls – daughters of Sri Lankan citizens working here – Amrita Janro, Sukey Pattiniwasam, Dinuli Gamage and Kavish Goonatilake.

Ambassador Calixte D’Offay, diplomatic advisor in the Office of the President; Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, principal secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Erna Athanasius, ambassador for Women and Children’s Affairs; Errol Fonseka, honorary consul of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Seychelles were also present at the airport to welcome President Rajapaksa and his delegation.

Accompanying President Rajapaksa is a strong delegation including Professor G. L. Peiris, Minister for External Affairs and Deputy Minister of Plantation and Industries Earl Gunasekara.

After inspecting a guard of honour, President Michel and his delegation accompanied President Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa to their cars.

Today as part of his programme, President Rajapaksa and President Michel will hold bilateral talks and also meet in a tête-à-tête at State House before proceeding to the Capital City building on Independence Avenue in the afternoon to officially open the Sri Lankan high commission, the Bank of Ceylon branch and Sri Lanka Insurance branch here.

Later in the afternoon, President Rajapaksa will officially open the Nawaloka Medical Centre situated on the 4th floor of the Le Chantier Mall and the Mihin Lanka office on the ground floor of the Ebrahim building on Francis Rachel Street.

An official programme has also been prepared for First Lady Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa and it includes a visit to the Seychelles Hospital, President’s Village orphanage at Port Glaud and a visit and tree planting at the Botanical Gardens.

President Rajapaksa and his delegation are expected to leave Seychelles on tomorrow afternoon.