Sri Lanka to extract elements from New Zealand model: Foreign Ministry

Opening up of the resident New Zealand High Commission in Colombo would immensely contribute to the further advancement of bilateral engagements between the two countries

Sri Lanka will seek to learn from the electoral system of New Zealand and extract elements with the potential to be incorporated into the local system, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said. Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris informed to New Zealand High Commissioner Michael Appleton who called on him.

The Minister, underlining the positive nature of the current electoral system in New Zealand, informed that Sri Lanka wished to learn from the electoral system in New Zealand and extract elements that were capable of adaptation to the domestic system.

Prof. Peiris informed that the government was very keen on reviving the domestic dairy industry given its wider impact on the farming community and consumers in the country and sought to continue the partnership with the New Zealand side to that effect. Collaboration in several other spheres including counterterrorism, trade, investment, and tourism was also discussed.

High Commissioner- Appleton congratulated Prof. Peiris for his appointment as the Foreign Minister and expressed commitment to work closely with him in the future to enhance the partnership between the two countries to further heights. He mentioned that New Zealand had partnered with Sri Lanka in several fields, especially in the dairy and agricultural sectors, and it was high time now for both countries to identify new areas of cooperation in a spirit of friendship.

Prof. Peiris, while recalling the mutually beneficial partnership between Sri Lanka and New Zealand expressed his confidence that the opening up of the resident New Zealand High Commission in Colombo would immensely contribute to the further advancement of bilateral engagements between the two countries.

New Zealand opened its resident diplomatic Mission in Sri Lanka in August 2021, following a mutual agreement reached by the two countries to establish resident Missions, and Mr. Michael Appleton functions as the first resident High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka.