October 11, 2016 Reading Time: 2 minutes
Presidents of Russia and Turkey meet in Istanbul. Image Credit - bloodua / depositphoto
Reading Time: 2 min read
Sri Lanka and Philippines sign visa waiver agreement
The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Perfecto Rivas Yasay, Jr. and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Aruni Ranaraja, have signed a Visa Waiver Agreement for Diplomatic and Official Passport Holders on 7 October.
The agreement will allow the passport holders of Filipino and Sri Lankan nationality to receive visa-free travel to each other’s respective countries for a period of 30 days.
Iran calls for stronger ties
The President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, has discussed strengthening Iran-Sri Lanka ties with President Sirisena, on the sidelines of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.
President Rouhani highlighted the potential for Iranian companies to engage in Sri Lanka’s development plans, and discussed strengthening bilateral trade and streamlining the oil supply from Iran to Sri Lanka.
Foreign Minister meets UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera, has met with the visiting UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Rita Izsák-Ndiaye. While in the country, Ms. Izsák-Ndiaye will travel to the northern, eastern, and central provinces of Sri Lanka to meet with minority communities.
Ms. Izsák-Ndiaye will also meet with government officials and representatives from the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, and is expected to present a report to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2017.
Chinese President to tour Asia
The President of China, Xi Jinping, intends to visit India, Cambodia and Bangladesh from 13-17 October.
President Xi will end his tour at the BRICS Summit in India on 15 October. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand).
Russian and Turkish leaders meet in Istanbul
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and President Vladmir Putin, have met in Istanbul on 10 October. The two leaders discussed energy, defence, trade, tourism, and the conflict in Syria.
During the meeting, the Presidents signed an agreement to revive the TurkStream gas pipeline project. President Putin also announced Moscow’s decision to lift a ban on agricultural products from Turkey, which was imposed in response to Turkey shooting down a Russian jet in 2015.
World Energy Congress takes place in Istanbul
The 23rd World Energy Congress is taking place in Istanbul, Turkey, from 9-13 October. The Congress will be attended by over 350 speakers and country delegations, and the heads of state of Russia, Venezuela, Azerbaijan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The World Energy Council has presented a report that predicts the global demand for energy per capita will peak by 2030 due to technological improvements and more stringent government policies.
Tags: Sri Lanka, Iran, China, Russia, Philippines, Turkey, World Energy Congress
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