Press Releases
State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe led the Sri Lanka Delegation to the 11th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (11th APFSD) in Bangkok, Thailand
Sri Lanka showcased strong commitment to sustainable financing at the Fifth Session of the Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development held in Bangkok.
The Fifth Session of the Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development was held from 19-21 November 2025 at the Unite Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The Session was opened by Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). During the opening session, special remarks were made by H.E. Ahmed Mazin, Minister of State for
Finance and Planning of Maldives, Mr. Benjarong Suwankiri, Vice-Minister of Finance of Thailand and the Secretary-General of UNCTAD. The meeting brought together key member States,
including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye, the United States of America, and Viet Nam, reflecting strong regional engagement in advancing inclusive and sustainable development financing.
Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok Hosts “Sri Lanka: Your Next Best Destination”, Tourism Promotional Evening, to Mark the 70th Anniversary of Sri Lanka–Thailand Diplomatic Relations
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Sri Lankan Airlines, organized “Sri Lanka: Your Next Best Destination”, Tourism Promotional Evening, on 24 November 2025 at the Avani Riverside Hotel, Bangkok, to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The State Minister of Finance, Shehan Semasinghe led the Sri Lanka Delegation to the 11th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (AFPSD) at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) held from 20th to 23rd February 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand.
State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe participated at the high level panel discussion of the associated event under the theme of ‘New Frontiers on Social Protection in a Changing World – Towards a vision for shared progress in Asia Pacific’ on 19th February 2024. During his remarks he stated that the social protection reforms became one of the priority reform agendas of the Government of Sri Lanka which has enabled the Government to pursue critical reforms in the tax structure, utility pricing and State Owned Enterprises reforms knowing that poor and vulnerable households will be protected through alternative mechanisms. The State Minister emphasized that the comprehensive macroeconomic reform initiatives are yielding positive outcomes, evidenced by the early indications of stabilization and growth, the eradication of shortages with ample foreign exchange liquidity in the banking system, the removal of most import restrictions, a significant decline in inflation from 70% to 6.4% by January 2024, and the appreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee.
After the opening remarks made by Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, delivered special remarks and the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed delivered the keynote speech at the inauguration.
The Forum undertook an in-depth review of the region’s progress on Sustainable Development Goal 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 13 (Climate Action), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The outcomes will feed into the global High-Level Political Forum in July and the Summit of the Future which is to be held in September 2024 in New York.
On the sidelines to the 11th APFSD, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly launched the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report 2024 under the title of “People and Planet: Addressing the Interlinked Challenges of Climate Change, Poverty, and Hunger in Asia and the Pacific.”
The delegation of Sri Lanka comprised of Ambassador of Sri Lanka and Permanent Representative to UNESCAP, C. A. Chaminda I. Colonne, Director General of the Sustainable Development Council, Chamindry Saparamadu, First Secretary/Deputy Permanent Representative to UNESCAP, A.W.S Samanmali and First Secretary (Commercial)/Deputy Permanent Representative to UNESCAP, Vireshika Bandara.
Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Bangkok
28.02.2024
Sri Lanka showcased strong commitment to sustainable financing at the Fifth Session of the Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development held in Bangkok.
The Fifth Session of the Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development was held from 19-21 November 2025 at the Unite Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The Session was opened by Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). During the opening session, special remarks were made by H.E. Ahmed Mazin, Minister of State for
Finance and Planning of Maldives, Mr. Benjarong Suwankiri, Vice-Minister of Finance of Thailand and the Secretary-General of UNCTAD. The meeting brought together key member States,
including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye, the United States of America, and Viet Nam, reflecting strong regional engagement in advancing inclusive and sustainable development financing.
Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok Hosts “Sri Lanka: Your Next Best Destination”, Tourism Promotional Evening, to Mark the 70th Anniversary of Sri Lanka–Thailand Diplomatic Relations
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and Sri Lankan Airlines, organized “Sri Lanka: Your Next Best Destination”, Tourism Promotional Evening, on 24 November 2025 at the Avani Riverside Hotel, Bangkok, to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Thailand.