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The Sri Lankan envoy was making the closing remarks of the three day Defence Seminar which started last Monday in Colombo under the patronage of Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Secretary of Defence and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
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HM Queen Elizabeth hosted a reception for Commonwealth countries at Buckingham Palace this evening, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka next month. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the event was also attended by the Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, Foreign Secretary William Hague and high commissioners, including H E Dr Chris Nonis Sri Lankan High Commissioner from the 'family of nations'. The Duchess of Cornwall accompanied Prince Charles -- who will represent the Queen at this year's summit.
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His Excellency the High Commissioner, Dr. Chris Nonis held a launch event at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London to promote the Commonwealth Business Forum to be held in Colombo from the 12 - 14 November 2013, leading up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2013.
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Sri Lanka’s post-conflict measures at reconciliation, rehabilitation, reintegration, and reconstruction were highlighted by High Commissioner Dr. Chris Nonis, during an interview on BBC World News recently. Asked by BBC presenter Mishal Husain what positive developments have occurred in the last four years since the end of the 26-year conflict, Dr. Nonis said 297,000 people rescued from the clutches of the LTTE have been rehabilitated, in perhaps the largest hostage rescue operation in global history. “After a 28-year bitter and internecine conflict with the terrorists, we finally achieved peace in the country under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. There is a billion Dollar program going into the North and East, ‘Nagenahira Navodaya’, and ‘Uthuru Vasanthaya’ which is building the lives and infrastructure of the people, 11,600 LTTE cadres are now being rehabilitated,” Dr. Nonis told the BBC World News program ‘Impact’
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The Sri Lankan High Commissioner for the UK, His Excellency Dr Chris Nonis, was awarded the "Diplomat of the Year" for Asia, at the Annual Diplomat Awards Ceremony at the Langham Hotel in London last night, in the presence of the Diplomatic Community. This is the first time a Sri Lankan High Commissioner has won this award, which is chosen from the 164 Embassies and Diplomatic Missions in London.
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An interview with Dr Chris Nonis on the Commonwealth Business Forum ahead of CHOGM 2013 in Colombo.
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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for officials from Commonwealth countries on Monday.
The Queen was joined by her son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. The Queen and her husband Prince Philip greeted high commissioners and leading individuals from Commonwealth nations, including H E Dr Chris Nonis Sri Lankan High Commissioner, ahead of the CHOGM summit starting November 15 in Sri Lanka.
Prince Charles will represent the Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting this November in Colombo.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague was also present at the reception.
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Sri Lanka is a microcosm of the Contemporary Commonwealth, and was one of the 8 founder member Nations of the modern Commonwealth. Sri Lanka achieved peace in the country under the leadership of HE President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka is a wonderful opportunity for all Heads, Foreign Ministers and their delegations, and the world’s media to see for themselves the reality of contemporary Sri Lanka.
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The team participating in the ICC Championship Trophy 2013 was felicitated at a reception at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London. Captain of the team, Anjelo Mathews, and Manager of the team, Michael de Zoysa also addressed the gathering. High Commissioners of several Commonwealth countries, cricket enthusiasts, and Members of Parliament were present to felicitate the team in the true spirit of the Commonwealth.
The High Commissioner said that cricket players are an inspiration to the youth of the country. He added that although ‘cricket’ is a simple word, it is certainly one of those that arouses the passion and emotion of all Sri Lankans. He recalled that Sri Lanka won the World Cup during the time of the terrorist conflict, demonstrating the resilience, resolve, integrity and fortitude of the Sri Lankan people.
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Rupavahini Interviews HE Dr Chris Nonis Sri Lankan High Commissioner
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Dr. Chris Nonis addresses the parents and children at the opening of the "ICT & English Literacy Centre" in Frotoft Estate, Nuwaraeliya in partnership with Mackwoods Inf4otec, Mackwoods I.T and the Mackwoods Research Foundation on Frotoft Estate.
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Festival of Cricket 2013 celebrated its Silver Jubilee from Merchant Taylor School Grounds, Norwood, Herts, yesterday (28) with 28 Old boys Associations participating in a seven a side cricket tournament.
School cricket teams for Batticaloa, Colombo and many other leading school teams of the island competed in the tournament.
Dr. Chris Nonis addressing the audience added a congratulatory note to the festival stating that London Cricket Festival is the centre for national unity.
He extended his gratitude towards Sri Lankan Airlines and BOC for funding the event, which demonstrated a great deal of Sri Lanka's national pride and unity.
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Dr. Chris Nonis with the Sri Lankan delegation at UN, New York 2013.
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Dr. Chris Nonis, Trustee of the Ramphal Centre for Commonwealth Policy Studies, an independent think tank on policy issues for the Commonwealth and its member states, addressed the Ramphal Centre Commission on Migration and Development at Rhodes House, Oxford. Patrons of the Ramphal Centre include Lee Kuan Yew, Malcolm Fraser, Vincent Cable MP, Brian Mulroney, Lord Patten and P.J. Patterson.
Dr. Nonis spoke about the role of the migrant Diaspora as agents of development for Sri Lanka and the manner in which their potential could be harnessed to assist Sri Lanka's programme of development in the post-conflict era.
He articulated the principles of the 'Mahinda Chinthana,' President Mahinda Rajapaksa's vision of achieving growth with equity and the imperative of bridging the urban-rural divide
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The 65th Sri Lanka's Independence Day Celebrations at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London
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64th Sri Lanka's Independence Day Reception at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London
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Sri Lanka High Commission in London organized a Pirith Chanting Ceremony followed by an Almsgiving to Maha Sangha on 18th & 19th November respectively, in association with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau - London Office, Sri Lanka Freedom Party UK Branch and East London Branch, The British - Sri Lanka Forum and Sri Lanka Mahajana Party London Branch , to invoke blessings on H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa on his 66th birthday and to mark the first anniversary of the second term of office of the President.
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Dr Chris Nonis addresses Heathrow Athula Dissanayake International Buddhist Temple New Year Celebrations
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Dr. Chris Nonis, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK addressed the Defence and Security Forum, UK, the Foreign and Defence affairs "think tank" which is chaired by Major General Patrick Cordingley, DSO, who commanded the ground forces in the First Gulf War. Its Deputy Chairman is Rt Hon Sir John Wheeler, former Minister of State for Northern Ireland, and Lady Olga Maitland, former Member of Parliament, serves DSF as its President. DSF serves to inform and brief members of the City, the professions, diplomats and servicemen on current events in the field of defence and foreign affairs, and bearing in mind the impact that the economies of the world have on international relations, DSF also keeps a monitoring eye on trade relations and economic issues.
Dr. Nonis spoke about the challenges Sri Lanka faced, and the progress it had made in the post-conflict era. He articulated the comprehensive demining programmes and welfare programmes that had been carried out to enable subsequent rehabilitation and resettlement; the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-combatants and LTTE Cadres; the infrastructure development programmes and the substantial role played by the military in reconstruction and resettlement activities. He highlighted the comprehensive ongoing reconciliation programme, and the imperative of addressing the dichotomy in perception between the previous anachronistic view of Sri Lanka and contemporary Sri Lanka.
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Lord Rogan of Lower Lveagh, member of the British House of Lords and Vice Chairman of the British -- Sri Lanka Parliamentary Group has completed a seven-day fact-finding visit to Sri Lanka.
"During my visit to all parts of the country, North, East, South, and West I was able to speak freely and openly with ministers, government officials, religious leaders, and most importantly ordinary citizens from all sections and walks of life. What struck me particularly was that the military presence in the North was substantially less than what has been often portrayed," says Lord Rogan of the United Kingdom
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Dr Nonis noted that rural youth educational initiatives such as this help in uniting communities, bridging the digital divide, accelerating economic development, and serve to build a pluralistic and inclusive society.
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Lord Rogan of Lower Iveagh recently organized an event on "Sri Lanka Today" which was held at the House of Lords, Attlee Room. In his keynote address H.E. Dr. Chris Nonis articulated the challenges that Sri Lanka has faced during its years under the hegemony of terrorism, and also highlighted that UK has probably the greatest reservoir of goodwill of any country with Sri Lanka; and now have an opportunity to build upon it. Both our countries have a rich and varied plurality of economic, cultural, and linguistic traditions, and we should draw more deeply on the strength of our shared heritage, harness our collective strengths, and leverage on our commonalities. If Britain is sincere therefore in helping the people, the compelling imperative is for us to unite in our mission to build the economic base of a unitary Sri Lanka, in which all communities can reap the dividends of economic growth -- as articulated in the "Mahinda Chintana" - the President's overall vision for the Country which provides for a propoor growth, and an equitable and inclusive growth, which seeks to bridge the urban rural divide, and indeed the national plan specifically focuses on the economic development of the conflict affected areas of the North and the East under 'Vadakkin Vasantham' (Flourishing North) and Neganahira Navodaya' (Eastern Revival). He further stated that Prime Minister Cameron has clearly articulated the new thrust of Economic Diplomacy, and that was re-echoed by the Secretary of State the Rt. Hon William Hague. . This can be a relationship of mutual interest not based on the prejudices of the past but on the commercial and political aspirations for our two countries in the future
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Dr Nonis noted that rural youth educational initiatives such as this help in uniting communities, bridging the digital divide, accelerating economic development, and serve to build a pluralistic and inclusive society.
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