A six member delegation from the Belgium-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group began an official visit to Sri Lanka on July 15, 2018 with a tour of Galle, a city which has long standing cultural and religious associations with Belgium.
The delegation comprising MPs from five different parties in the Belgian Parliament is led by Petra De Sutter, Senator from the Ecolo-Groen Party who is the President of the Friendship Group.
State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senenayake who is also the Chair of the Sri Lanka – Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Association hosted a luncheon for the delegation in Galle. State Minister Senanayake met the group last year when he undertook a visit to the Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union in December 2017.
The Catholic Diocese of Galle was established by Belgian Jesuits in 1893 and the first Bishop of Galle was Msgr. Joseph Van Reeth from Antwerp, Belgium.
In addition, Belgian Jesuits founded the leading boys school St. Aloysius' College Galle and Sisters of Charity from Brussels founded Sacred Heart Convent Galle. Lace making and embroidery was introduced as a cottage industry to Galle by Belgian nuns.
The delegation was taken on a guided tour of the Galle Fort and visited the Historical Museum in Galle. The delegation later called on His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Raymond Wickremasinghe, the Bishop of Galle and visited the St. Mary’s Cathedral, in Kaluwella which was built by Belgium Jesuits in the 19th century.
The Belgian MP delegation is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister, Speaker and several other dignitaries during their visit to Sri Lanka.
They are also scheduled to visit places of historical and cultural interest in Sri Lanka including the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.
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