Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Ranjith Jayasooriya presented his Credentials as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Estonia to Toomas Hendricks Ilves, President of the Republic of Estonia, recently.

The ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace in Kadriog in Estonia. Sven Jürgenson, Foreign Policy Advisor to the President, Ms. Jana Vanaveski, Head of Foreign Policy Department of the Office of the Presdient, Jüri Seilentha, Chef de Cabinet and Ms. Siir, Liivandi Desk Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia were also present.

Ambassador Jayasooriya was warmly welcomed to Estonia by President Toomas who referred to the good and warm relations between Sri Lanka and Estonia.

At the discussion held after the ceremony, the President expressed his concern over the present political and humanitarian situation in Northern Sri Lanka. Ambassador Jayasooriya gave a comprehensive briefing to the President on the current situation in the country and said that Government’s concern is for the safety of the civilians who have been entrapped in the no-fire zone and is taking every effort to rescue them from the clutches of the LTTE.

He further said that the LTTE is holding thousands of civilian hostages as human shields as the LTTE is on its last legs and unable to use any weapon against the Sri Lanka security forces. Ambassador Jayasooriya also assured that the Government is giving all assistance to nearly 200,000 IDPs and focusing its attention to resettle them in their original places of residence as soon as those places are made suitable for human habitation.

President Toomas was keen in strengthening the existing bilateral relations especially in the field of economic relations. He said that Sri Lanka is a very attractive tourist destination and reiterated that Sri Lanka should concentrate on a constructive plan to promote Estonian tourists to Sri Lanka as Estonian nationals are interested in visiting destinations with diversified tourist attractions.

The Ambassador said that as the first step, he would make arrangements to send six Estonian Tour Guide Operators on a study tour to organize the requirements of the Estonian tourists to visit Sri Lanka.

President Toomas further said that Estonia has very advanced technology in terms of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the use of ICT in society. Therefore, the President said there is a possibility to have close co-operation in Information Technology between the two countries. The President showed a keen interest in initiating a program to facilitate training Sri Lankans who are conversant with ICT on e-Governance in the e-Government Academy in Estonia.

The importance of establishing an Estonia-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group was highlighted at the discussions and an invitation was extended by Ambassador Jayasooriya to the Speaker of the Estonian Parliament to visit Sri Lanka to strengthen the relations between the two countries.

Proposals were also made to have Draft Agreements on Promotion and Protection of Investment and the Avoidance of Double Taxation by the Sri Lanka Government and the Draft Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Tourism which did not materialize in 2000 to be restored or to devise a new Agreement by the Estonian Government with a view to promoting economic relations between the two countries.