President Ranil Wickremesinghe left the island early today (26) on an official visit to Japan and the Philippines, the President’s Media Division said.
During his two-day official visit to Japan, the president will participate in the funeral of the former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
He will also hold bilateral discussions with the incumbent prime minister and the ministers of foreign affairs and finance during this tour.
Thereafter, president Wickremesinghe is scheduled to leave for the Philippines to preside over the meeting of the governors of the Asian Development Bank.
He will hold discussions with his Philippine counterpart Bongbong Marcos and the ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa as well.
The President is scheduled to return on September 30, the PMD said.
Senior advisor to the president on national security and chief of staff to the president Sagala Ratnayaka, director of international affairs Dinouk Colombage, director of media Shanuka Karunaratne, director of sustainable development Randula Abeyweera and private secretary to the president Sandra Perera will accompany the president on his official tour.
The treasury secretary will join the President on his visit to the Philippines, but Colombage and Abeyweera will not join the president on his official visit to the Philippines, it said.
Acting ministers appointed to oversee ministries under the President
During President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s official overseas tour, the state ministers of the ministries under the purview of the President, will be appointed as acting ministers to oversee their operations.
Accordingly, State Minister Premitha Bandara has been appointed as the Acting Defence Minister, State Minister Shehan Semasinghe as the Acting Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization & National Policies, State Minister Dilum Amunugama as the Acting Minister of Investment Promotion, State Minister Kanaka Herath as the Acting Minister of Technology and State Minister Anupa Pasqual has been appointed as the Acting Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment.
