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President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama to return immediately, since many unwarranted incidents are taking place in the Sri Lanka political scene – which has relevance to foreign affairs. The request was made by the President when Bogollagama telephoned him while Cabinet was in session on Wednesday, in order to consult the President on appointing a deputy chief of mission in Washington.
The President said, “What are you doing over there? A diplomat from Iceland has proceeded to Killinochchi, even without informing the Foreign Ministry, come back as soon as possible” The Minister, in response, had said that he was aware of the incident and had protested to Iceland Foreign Minister urging him to recall the diplomat immediately. The Iceland Foreign Ministry subsequently issued a letter apologising for the incident and had recalled the diplomat who had gone along with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to Killinochchi.
Norway to take action against errant SLMM official?
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama to return immediately, since many unwarranted incidents are taking place in the Sri Lanka political scene – which has relevance to foreign affairs.
The request was made by the President when Bogollagama telephoned him while Cabinet was in session on Wednesday, in order to consult the President on appointing a deputy chief of mission in Washington.
The President said, “What are you doing over there? A diplomat from Iceland has proceeded to Killinochchi, even without informing the Foreign Ministry, come back as soon as possible”
The Minister, in response, had said that he was aware of the incident and had protested to Iceland Foreign Minister urging him to recall the diplomat immediately.
The Iceland Foreign Ministry subsequently issued a letter apologising for the incident and had recalled the diplomat who had gone along with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to Killinochchi.
Highly placed foreign Ministry sources said that the diplomat, Iceland Minister Counsellor Bjarni Vestmann, had arrived from Delhi on a tourist visa and proceeded to Killinochchi along with the SLMM, since the mission has the authority to travel without any impediment to the Northern territory.
It is learnt that even the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process has also lodged their protest to the SLMM over the incident.
Meanwhile, The Nation reliably learns that this diplomat had also applied for a job with the SLMM, and was subsequently selected by the mission. However, despite being selected, the diplomat had not taken leave from the Iceland Foreign Ministry.
It is learnt that the new Norwegian Ambassador has also protested over the incident and action against the SLMM official, who accompanied the Icelandic diplomat to Kilinochchi, is also contemplated
The Nation
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