November 21, 2025
Hon. Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe Elected as the President of the Sri Lanka – New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Association
Hon. Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe, has been elected as the President of the Sri Lanka – New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Association for the Tenth Parliament.
The revival meeting of the Association was held yesterday (20) at the Parliament premises under the patronage of the Hon. Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. The High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka, H.E. David Gregory Pine, attended the event as the Guest of Honour. Several Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, and the Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, were also present on the occasion.
The Hon. Member of Parliament Thanura Dissanayake was elected as the Secretary of the Association, while the Hon. Member of Parliament Geetha Herath, Attorney at Law was elected as the Treasurer of the Association.
During the meeting, both parties underscored the longstanding bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, founded on mutual respect and shared benefit. Discussions highlighted opportunities to expand cooperation in several key sectors, including sports, tourism, trade, labour, and education. The Hon. Speaker also extended his gratitude to the Government of New Zealand for the support extended to Sri Lanka thus far.
The High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka, H.E. David Gregory Pine, reaffirmed New Zealand’s intention to further develop cooperation in areas such as tourism, trade, and sports-particularly women’s cricket and men’s rugby.
Both sides expressed confidence that the revival of the Parliamentary Friendship Association would serve as an effective platform to deepen collaboration and advance mutually beneficial initiatives across multiple spheres of partnership.As part of his visit to Parliament, the High Commissioner also paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, during which discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations, including enhanced cooperation at the Parliamentary level.
