Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry, is set to journey to London to attend the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting (CFAMM) next Wednesday, where he is expected to meet several international dignitaries.
The CFAMM is set to mark the 10th anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter which expressed the shared commitment of member states to develop free and democratic societies as well as the promotion of peace and prosperity throughout the Commonwealth.
Foreign ministers engaging in the meeting are also expected to discuss shared challenges and the need to build resilience for peaceful and sustainable societies, climate financing for environmental sustainability, and leveraging intra-commonwealth trade and digital connectivity for economic recovery, food, and energy security.
During this meeting, Sri Lankan Minister Sabry is expected to meet with Britain’s Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly. This expected meeting follows the conclusion of the 42nd Universal Period Review of Human Rights, during which Britain’s representative raised concerns over issues affecting the Tamil North-East. In his statement, he raised alarm over the Sri Lankan state’s continued land grabs, which have devastated the North and East, as well as crackdowns on memorialisation activities.
The committee also raised alarm over the failure to address the issues of those forcibly disappeared.
Tamil activists are calling on Minister Cleverly to raise concerns over Sri Lanka's dire human rights record and have noted the UK Prime Minister's previous statement raising concerns over the “inappropriate influence from the [Sri Lankan] military”.
Read more here: Rishi Sunak speaks on curbing Sri Lanka's military and justice for 'pain of 2009'
Sabry is also expected to meet with Patricia Scotland KC, Secretary General of the Commonwealth; Ann Marie Trevelyan, Minister of State for Indo-Pacific FCDO; and Lord Mervyn Davies of Abersoch, Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Sri Lanka.
Sabry will also reportedly meet with Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda (also the Commonwealth Chair in Office), Kenya, Pakistan and Malaysia.
Read more here.
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