President kicks off Sri Lanka’s historic engagement with G7 in Japan

• Attends Outreach Session and Working Luncheon today during G7 Summit in Ise-Shima
• Ministers Mangala, Malik, Ravi, Mahinda and Navin join President to bolster SL’s push for global attention
• Bilateral discussions with several Asian leaders and meetings with Japanese agencies and companies on the sidelines of the Summit

By Nisthar Cassim in 

Aichi-Nagoya, Japan

President Maithripala Sirisena will today kick off Sri Lanka’s historic first-ever engagement with Group of 7 at their Summit in Nagoya, Japan, in a development that will significantly boost the country’s international profile.

The President arrived in Nagoya on Thursday morning to participate in the G7 Ise-Shima Summit on an official invitation from the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as an Outreach Partner. This is the first time a Sri Lankan leader has been invited to a G7 summit.

Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Canada, along with the European Council and European Commission are members of G7. Formerly known as the G8 Summit, it is now called G7 since the membership of Russia was suspended in 2014 over the situation in Ukraine.

Apart from Japanese Prime Minister Abe, the other G7 leaders attending the two-day Summit which began yesterday are US President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, France President François Hollande, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italy Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

President Sirisena will engage with these G7 leaders this morning during a formal outreach session titled ‘Stability and Prosperity in Asia’ in addition to having a working lunch and taking part in a photo session with G7 and outreach partners. Apart from Sri Lanka, 2016 summit host Japan has invited four other Asian countries Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Laos as outreach partners along with Chad, Papua New Guinea.

To bolster President Sirisena and Sri Lanka’s engagement with G7, a top team of Ministers are in Nagoya as well. They are Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera and Plantation Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake. Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Japan Prof. Dammika Ganganath Dissanayake is also part of the delegation.

According to official sources, the President will get an opportunity to brief G7 leaders about the steps taken, first under the 100-day program, and secondly, since the 17 August Parliamentary elections, to strengthen democratic institutions, judicial independence, freedom of expression and human rights. The leaders are scheduled to engage in candid discussions on foreign policy issues including counter-terrorism and other issues.

Separately, the President will also hold bilateral meetings. Yesterday he met with Vietnam Prime Minister Ngyun Xuan Phuc, today he will have discussions with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and tomorrow with Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina. Sirisena will also interact with heads of outreach partners, Chad President Idriss Deby Itno, Laos Prime Minister Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith and Papua New Guinea Premier Peter O’Neill.

Among other global figures attending the G7 summit as outreach partners include United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, World Bank President Dr. Jim Yong Kim, OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria and ADB President Takehiko Nakao.

Using the visit to Japan to promote greater investments and development support, the President and Ministers are also holdings discussions with Japanese companies and organisations. Yesterday the President and the Ministers met with existing development partner of Sri Lanka Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Chairman Hiroyuki Ishige and his team and existing investor in Sri Lanka Onomichi Dockyard President Takashi Nakabe and Managing Director Kazuo Murakami.

Today the President and the Ministers will meet with Taisei Corporation President Takashi Yamauchi and his team and Hitachi President Toshiaki Higashihara and his team among other Japanese investors and companies.

Sirisena will also meet with the Sri Lankan community including professionals and businessmen in Nagoya tonight at a reception.

The President and the Sri Lankan delegation was hosted to a reception yesterday by Aichi Prefecture Government and the City of Nagoya and today the Governor of Aichi Prefecture Hideaki Oomura and his team will call on President Sirisena during discussions with the Sri Lankan Ministers.

President Sirisena and the Sri Lankan delegation were received on their arrival yesterday at Nagoya Airport by Japan State Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoji Muto and Aichi Prefecture Governor H. Oomura.

One of the major issues confronting the international community is growing uncertainty in the global economy, impacted by a range of factors including slowdowns in emerging markets, the sharp drop in oil prices and weakening trade. At the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, leaders will aim to deliver a positive message to address challenges to global economic growth and other risks.

Ahead of the Summit, the G7 released the Ise-Shima Progress Report: G7 accountability on development and development-related commitments.

The report reviewed the progress on the implementation of 51 commitments made at the Summits between 2002 and 2015, covering the following 10 sectors: Aid and Aid Effectiveness, Economic Development, Health, Water and Sanitation, Food Security, Education, Equality, Governance, Peace and Security, and Environment and Energy.