Sri Lanka ‘has multi-sectoral approach to mitigate spread of COVID-19’ 

COLOMBO: State Minister for Regional Co-operation, Tharaka Balasuriya, underscored Sri Lanka’s commitment to ensure the health of citizens of Sri Lanka and the region in his addresst to the 13th Bali Democracy Forum (BDF).

He said this at the ministerial panel that was held on Dec.10 on the subject of “Upholding Democracy: COVID-19 Pandemic.”

The Ministerial Panel focused on sharing state policies of countries to prevent and maintain the COVID-19 pandemic.

While commending the initiative taken by Indonesia to organize the Forum, the State Minister thanked the government of Indonesia for their commitment to contribute both individually and collectively to the common purpose of collaborating in upholding democracy for the Asia Pacific region.

The state minister noted that Sri Lanka adopted a balanced, multi-sectoral approach to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and held its commitment to the democratic processes, and conducted parliamentary elections successfully and peacefully in August 2020.

Sri Lanka believes that health of the citizens of a state is a strong pillar in inclusive democracies.

Hence, the state minister reiterated that BDF has a genuine objective to build a dialogue and cooperation among the international community.

Sri Lanka further assured its support to share its experience and good practices with fellow nations and work in solidarity with them towards this end.

The discussions at the BDF focused on the challenges ahead of democracy, recession and growing skepticism and the need to focus on multifarious aspects within a crisis and ways to maintain resilience during crises and in turn contributing towards a stable democracy and justice within society.

The BDF was established in 2008, to create a progressive diplomatic architecture in the Asia Pacific region which has now developed as an annual Asia-Pacific Forum. In the past decade, the forum facilitated democracy through sharing experience, while managing diversity, encouraging equality, mutual understanding and respect.

This year BDF was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo and Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno L.P. Marsudi.

More than 30 countries around the world and 10 ministerial level were among participants at the forum.