Retired Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs Admiral Jayanath Colombage has stated that preliminary work is underway to rescue Sri Lankan students pursuing higher education in Belarus due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning (02) instructed External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow to take steps to ensure the safety of Sri Lankan students pursuing higher education in Belarus.
There are currently about 1,600 Sri Lankans, including nearly 1,500 Sri Lankan students, in Belarusian universities and institutes of higher education.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow has taken steps to delay the study activities by a few weeks in consultation with the relevant universities. Retired Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs, Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage stated that arrangements have been made to facilitate the relevant students to obtain visas to enter Russia and return to Sri Lanka.
