The Foreign Minister welcomed Australian assistance in the form of a COVID-19 containment package amounting to Rs. The Foreign Minister requested for the Australian government’s support to procure Astra Zeneca vaccines which the Australian Minister agreed to consider positively. Acknowledging the positive role that Australian Development Assistance has played in the national development efforts of Sri Lanka, Minister Gunawardena emphasized the importance of continued support to Sri Lanka at this critical time. In response to a specific request made by the Sri Lanka side, the Australian Foreign Minister offered to make available to Sri Lanka technical assistance to mitigate the environmental damage caused by the ‘X-Press Pearl’ ship in Sri Lankan waters. The Foreign Minister also reiterated Sri Lanka’s appreciation to Russia for the support extended to Sri Lanka in multilateral fora, including in the Human Rights Council, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Source: The Nation June 10, 2021 10:18 UTC