PM to receive a doctorate from Australia’s Deakin University

Tuesday, 14 February 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to receive an honorary doctorate on the first day of his official visit to Australia.

The Prime Minister will be awarded an honorary doctorate in law at a graduation ceremony at Deakin University in Geelong on Tuesday, the AAP News reported.

The award recognizes Wickremesinghe’s efforts to help Sri Lanka transition from a country traumatized by protracted, violent conflict toward a stable democracy.

“Mr. Wickremesinghe has emphasized the need for reconciliation, whilst ensuring accountability, and enabled groups riven by conflict to find common ground in a more hopeful future,” a Deakin University spokeswoman told AAP.

He’ll also meet with Victorian Governor Linda Dessau and will head to Canberra on Tuesday for a reception with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to commemorate 70 years of Australian-Sri Lankan diplomatic relations.