Procurement of AstraZenaca vaccine Australia consider positively request made by Foreign Minister

• The Foreign Minister welcomed Australian assistance in the form of a COVID-19 containment package amounting to Rs. 1,787 million
• Australian Foreign Minister offered to make available to Sri Lanka  technical assistance to mitigate the environmental damage caused by the  Express Pearl ship

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Wednesday requested for the Australian government’s support to procure AstraZeneca vaccines which Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia Marise Payne agreed to consider positively, a statement said.  

Foreign Ministry in a statement said that Minister Gunawardena in a telephone conversation with his Australian counterpart expressed his deep appreciation for the support extended by Australia towards Sri Lanka in addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 Pandemic.  

The Foreign Minister welcomed Australian assistance in the form of a COVID-19 containment package amounting to Rs. 1,787 million; donation made through the UNICEF of essential COVID-19 supplies; and provision of protective equipment. In addition he welcomed the Royal Australian Aircraft’s delivery of 9.8m face masks and 3,200 coveralls to the Ministry of Health on the 4th of June 2021.