Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium Grace Asirwatham, met with President of the Belgium-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group Senator Allessia Claes on 14 December 2023, at the Belgium Senate building, on the promotion of parliamentary relations between Belgium and Sri Lanka. This meeting was part of the ambassador’s farewell calls, marking the conclusion of her tenure in Belgium.
Both the Senator and the Ambassador recognized the importance of exchanging ideas among legislators to deepen friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries. They acknowledged that the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the unprecedented economic crisis in Sri Lanka have slowed down the initiation of collaborative initiatives between the two parliaments. Looking ahead, Senator Claes shared insights on Belgium’s upcoming parliamentary elections in June 2024 and expressed optimism and hope that the new parliament would actively work towards reconstituting the Belgium-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group to renew efforts in promoting robust relations and continued cooperation between the two parliaments.
Senator Claes has been a supporter of Sri Lanka and has attended promotion events and functions organized by the Embassy in Brussels. The Senator appreciated the farewell call on her by Ambassador Asirwatham and congratulated her on her successful tenure in Belgium.