A team of envoys including the Director General of the UNESCO, Madam Irina Bokova is expected to arrive today (13th) on an official tour of the Island. Minister of Education, Hon. AkilaVirajKariyawasam who is also the Chairman of the Sri Lanka-UNESCO National Commission and the Executive Committee will receive the Director General of the UNESCO at the Bandaranaike International Airport in the afternoon.
During her stay in the Island, the Director General will meet His Excellency the President and a number of ministers for bi-lateral talks. Further, she is scheduled to visit the World Heritage Sites of Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa at the invitation of the Minister of Education, Hon. AkilaVirajKariyawasamv During this time, a cordial meeting with the school children of this country is scheduled at which the Sri Lanka’s heritage and the problems faced by the children will be highlighted.
On Monday the 15th, the Director General Madam Irina Bokova will visit Kandy and pay respects to the Sacred Tooth Relic. She will also visit the University of Peradeniya and the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya. It is scheduled that in memory of her tour she will plant a tree at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya. On the same day she will meet the Governor of the Central Province Ms. NilukaEkanayake and also join to view the traditional Perehera of the Sacred Tooth.
On Tuesday the 16th, she will join 200 academics in the field of Science and Technology to discuss the challenges in the field. She will also join for a special talk on Peace and Development at the LakshmanKadirgamar Centre.
On Wednesday the 17th, she will meet a team of representative of the United Nations and also scheduled to meet His Excellency the President at the President’s House to conduct bi-lateral talks.
In the afternoon of that same day, Madam IrinBokova will join Minister of Education Hon. AkilaVirajKariyawasam at South Asia Teacher Development Centre at Meepe to attend a conference under the theme of Fruitful Teacher Development through Quality Education. A number of Educational Policy Resource Persons and academics are to attend this conference. The Director General of the UNESCO Madam Irina Bokova will thereafter hold a media conference at the United Nations Colombo Headquarters. She will then attend a dinner hosted in her honour by the Minister of Education Hon. AkilaVirajKariyawasam. She is scheduled to conclude her official tour in the morning of Thursday and leave the island.
