• 15.07.2025 - 10:33

Hon. Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, and Leader of the House of Parliament, Bimal Rathnayake, has been elected as the President of the Sri Lanka - Türkiye Parliamentary Friendship Association for the Tenth Parliament.
The revival meeting of the Association was held recently (08) at the Parliament premises under the patronage of the Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. The Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Sri Lanka, H.E. Semih Lütfü Turgut, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. Several Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and Members of Parliament and Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera also attended the event.
At the same meeting, Hon. Member of Parliament M.K.M. Aslam was elected as the Secretary of the Sri Lanka - Türkiye Parliamentary Friendship Association.
Addressing the gathering, the Hon. Speaker highlighted the longstanding cooperation between Sri Lanka and Türkiye, particularly in the areas of trade, education, defense, and cultural exchange. He noted that Türkiye remains a key economic partner for Sri Lanka and expressed confidence that the revitalized Parliamentary Friendship Association will foster new opportunities in commerce, investment, and tourism.
H.E. Semih Lütfü Turgut, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Sri Lanka, stated that the reviving of the Friendship Association is very timely for both countries, as the 3rd Session of the Joint Economic and Technical Cooperation Meeting between Sri Lanka and Türkiye is scheduled to be held in the near future. He further noted that the revived Friendship Association will help to strengthen cooperation in the areas of trade, tourism, education, defense, maritime affairs, and culture.
In his remarks, the newly elected President of the Association Hon. Minister Bimal Rathnayake, expressed his gratitude to the members for electing him and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries at all levels through the work of the Association.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the newly elected Secretary, Hon. Member of Parliament M.K.M. Aslam, extended his gratitude to the Hon. Speaker and the Ambassador of Türkiye. He also expressed his commitment to work collaboratively with fellow members to uphold the objectives of the Friendship Association.