President Ranil leaves for UK and France on official visit

President Ranil Wickremesinghe early on Sunday morning (June 17) left the island for the United Kingdom (UK) and France on an official visit.

Accompanied by a delegation of top-level officials, the Head of State boarded a SriLankan Airlines flight from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake at around 3.30 a.m., according to Ada Derana correspondent.

During his stay in France, Wickremesinghe will meet with Paris Club creditors to discuss matters pertaining to Sri Lanka’s debt crisis.

On the invitation of his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, the Sri Lankan president will address a high-level panel discussion in Paris at the Global Leaders’ Summit for a New Global Financing Pact.

The event is scheduled to take place at the Palais Brongniart in Paris on June 22 and 23.

The Summit for a New Global Financing Pact is expected to shape a new financing ‘toolbox’ that will be rolled out through six high-level round-tables and 40 parallel events.

It will provide the opportunity to examine interactions between multilateral development bank reform, mobilisation of private capital, climate finance, green infrastructure and solutions related to debt.

The Summit for New Global Financing Pact will establish the principles for future reforms and pave the way towards a more balanced financial partnership between the North and South. It will set the stage for new agreements to relieve debt distress. It is also expected to enable more countries to access the financing they need to invest in sustainable development, to better protect nature and cut emissions, as well as help protect populations from climate change wherever most needed.

New Global Financing Pact will help define the principles and steps needed to reform the financial system and to combat the high levels of debt that tie governments’ hands when it comes to implementing ambitious climate action to reduce the climate, economic and technological gaps that threaten to divide up the world.

This inclusive, multi-stakeholder event will bring together Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, and representatives of civil society, foundations, funds and the private sector.