NewsIn today's News Esala Weerakoon approved as 14th Secretary-General of SAARCThe Council of Ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) recently approved the nomination of former Foreign Secretary and senior career diplomat Mr. Esala Weerakoon, to be the 14th Secretary General of SAARC, with effect from March 1, 2020, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The meeting was held in New York last week and Chaired by the Foreign Minister of Nepal Pradeep Kumar Gyawali. Further the meeting was attended by the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani, Foreign Minister of Bhutan Dr. Tandi Dorji, External Affairs Minister of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of Pakistan Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Bangladesh State Minister of Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam, and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary. Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Ariyasinha said Sri Lanka’s commitment to regional cooperation and engagement with SAARC remains a high priority in Sri Lanka’s foreign policy.

Source: Sunday Times October 07, 2019 00:56 UTC