The Sri Lankan Embassy in Italy successfully conducted a consular mobile service in Catania, Sicily Island recently to provide consular services to the Sri Lankan community.
Around 550 Sri Lankans attended the service to obtain consular services such as new passports, passport endorsements, birth registrations, citizenship certificates, power of attorney attestations and translations of Sri Lankan documents.
During the mobile service, Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Italy Jagath Wellawatta accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Mission and the Counsellor of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Rome, had meetings with the Italian local authorities of the three main cities of Sicily, Catania, Messina, and Palermo.
The Ambassador met the Deputy Extraordinary Commissioner of Municipality of Catania Bernardo Campo, Prefect of Messina Cosima Di Stani, Chief of Police (Questore) Gabriella Ioppolo and the Mayor of Messina Federico Basile on January 20. On January 21 the Ambassador met the Prefect of the province of Catania Maria Carnmela Librizzi, and Chief of Police (Questura) of Catania Vito Calvino. A wide range of issues was discussed that mutually benefit both countries. During the meetings the Italian authorities said that Sri Lankan migrant workers have integrated into the social, labour, and cultural fabric of the island. The Ambassador stressed the importance of implementing cooperation between the two sides in the field of labour and vocational training with a view of enhancing the living conditions of Sri Lankans in Sicily.
The Sri Lankan delegation visited Palermo on January 23, which was the first ever visit of a Sri Lankan Ambassador to the island capital. The Ambassador met the Mayor of Palermo Prof. Roberto Lagalla, Chief of Police (Questura) Leopoldo Laricchia, and the Prefect of Palermo Maria Teresa Cucinotta. At the meetings, the Ambassador discussed the issues of illegal Sri Lankan migrants and the well- being of the Sri Lankan community. Ambassador Welawatte proposed the implementation of sister city programs, tourism promotion activities as well as conducting vocational training programs for the children of migrant workers.
The Ambassador proposed the possibility of signing an MoU between the Municipality of Palermo and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka on the establishment of a cultural centre to study Sri Lankan culture for the new generations in Palermo.
The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Italian authorities for the productive dialogues and exchange of views to find common projects to assist Sri Lankan workers and their families in Sicily.