Japan to provide Rs.611 Mn for HRD scholarship scheme

On Jul 30, 2023

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena thanked Japan for continuous assistance to Sri Lanka and said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on JDS Human Resource Development (HRD) scholarship scheme is yet another landmark in bilateral cooperation.

The Prime Minister said the high level visit from Japan to Sri Lanka was very useful in order to explore potential projects on ports, airports, railways, renewable energy, maritime co-operation and mutual efforts to heighten private sector tie ups as important areas.

He discussed with Japanese Foreign Minister on the ongoing debt restructuring process, which is co-chaired by the Japanese government, and supported by India, France and other donor countries.

The Prime Minister recalling that the previous government made a mistake in suspending the proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) project and urged Japan to have further discussion on resuming the project and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi agreed to consider to it as a Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) project.

Under the MoU on JDS signed by the two countries, Japan will provide additional scholarships to Sri Lankan public servants, academics and scholars for higher studies in Japan. The programme will continue till 2025 and this year Rs.611 million has been allocated by Japan for these scholarships.

Foreign Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi was accompanied by a 22-member delegation that included Director General International Co-operation Kazuya Endo, Director General Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Yutaka Arima, Director, Southwest Asian Affairs, Taro Tstutsami, Senior Foreign Policy Co-ordinator Manabu Murakami, Principal Foreign Policy Co-ordinator, Manabu Murakami.

Foreign Affairs State Minister Taraka Balasuriya, MP Yadamini Gunawardena, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Anura Dissanayake Home Affairs Ministry Secretary Ranjith Ashoka were present at this meeting.

The MoU was signed by Japanese Ambassador Mizukoshi Hideaki and Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardene in the presence of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and the visiting Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi at the Temple Trees on Saturday.