Tamil civil society held protests in Kilinochchi and Vavuniya calling on the government to take action on the ongoing sexual violence that people in the North-East faced.
Hundreds of members of civil society including teachers, school children, businesses and professionals marched through Vavuniya demanding justice for a series of rapes that had occurred in the North-East over the past month.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leaders that there will be no drastic changes in the new constitution and the Northern and Eastern provinces will not be re-merged, reports Sudaytimes.lk.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the prime minister said,

“We have said that the government is willing to accommodate request for possible ‘working arrangements’ for co-ordination between the two Provincial Councils.”

 A high level delegation from the German government will visit Sri Lanka in March to explore investment opportunities said Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

The finance minister said that the German delegation will assess and analyse the investment climate following an investor forum held in Germany during the Sri Lankan President’s visit to the capital, reports Colombo Page.

Sri Lanka has no enemies in the world, said Preident  Sirisena addressing Sri Lankan expatriates in Vienna.

Speaking at the Austrian National Library in Vienna, Mr Sirisena said,

Austria has pledged to assist Sri Lanka in removing the European Union’s ban on fishery exports and regain the GSP+ trade concession reports Colombo Page.

President Sirisena who arrived in Vienna for a two day visit on Friday, met with Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

The two counterparts agreed to increase economic cooperation and with the Austrian president pledging to help Sri Lanka regain GSP+ trade concession from the EU.

Sri Lanka and Germany agreed to strengthen bilateral relations by signing an array of agreements that covered education, language, museology, heritage and art conservation, higher education and sports, reports Colombo Page.

The two sides also agreed to foster and improve the volume of Sri Lanka’s exports to Germany.
The agreement followed President Sirisena’s visit to Berlin.

In the run-up to his visit Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany alleged that the nation would initiate a resolution to support the reinstatement of the GSP+ trade concession to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe reiterating his commitment to signing a trade agreement with India called any one that opposed it a ‘traitor.’

Speaking to reporters in Hambantota, Sri Lanka’s prime minister said,

“I will tell you one thing. We will take this agreement forward. We have a majority in parliament.”

The prime minister has faced strong opposition to signing a bi-lateral trade agreement with India and enhancing further trade ties with the neighbouring nation.

India framework agreement not finalised says Sri Lanka minister (25 Jan 2016)

Sri Lanka to finalise India trade agreement by mid-2016 announces ministry (30 Dec 2015)

See our editorial:

Sri Lanka’s Indophobia (07 Aug 2015)