Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-02-14

Establishing a Regional Consular Office in Polonnaruwa

- More than 600 persons are travelling daily from various districts of the country, to visit the Colombo Office of the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain the services rendered by the said Consular Division. Action is being taken to establish Regional Consular Offices to enable the general public to obtain these services easily. Accordingly, action has already been taken to establish a Regional Consular Office in Jaffna for the general public of the Northern Province and presently, appropriate action has been initiated to open such a Regional Consular Office in Matara as well.

It has been proposed to set up a Regional Consular Office in Polonnaruwa as well, with a view to providing such services easily to the public living in the Districts of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Kurunegala, Ampara and Matale. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Thilak Marapana, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to establish the said Regional Consular Office in a building located close to the Divisional Secretariat, Thamankaduwa of Polonnaruwa, was approved by the Cabinet.