The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI) together with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UN ESCAP), hosted an LKI Foreign Policy Round Table on 3 July 2018. Following the launch of UN ESCAP’s flagship annual publication, the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2018, Ms. Huang spoke on the “Economic Outlook for the Asia-Pacific and Mobilising Finance to Sustain Growth.”

Zhenqian Huang is an Associate Economic Affairs Officer in the Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division of UN ESCAP. She is a member of the core team that produces ESCAP’s flagship annual publication, the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific. Prior to joining ESCAP, Ms. Huang covered China’s economy for the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and has extensive experience participating in bilateral economic and financial negotiations between the UK and China. Ms. Huang holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Master’s degree in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics.

Deshal de Mel, Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance; Eshini Ekanayake, Economist at JB Securities; and Shiran Fernando, Chief Economist of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, also presented their views on the relevance of UN ESCAP’s policy recommendations for Sri Lanka.

Eshini Ekanayake on UN ESCAP’s Policy Recommendations for Sri Lanka

The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies recently hosted a Foreign Policy Round Table titled ‘Managing Effective Trade—Sri Lanka and International Experiences’ on 4 September 2018. This round table supported by The Asia Foundation featured Professor Sirimal Abeyratne, University of Colombo; Dr. Amitendu Palit, Institute of South Asian Studies Singapore (ISAS); and Ms. Elizabeth Ward, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia (DFAT).

Dr. Amitendu Palit is Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economic Policy) at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is an economist specialising in international trade policies, regional economic developments, comparative economic studies and political economy of public policies. He worked with the Government of India for several years with his longest span being in the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, India. His current research focuses on economic and political implications of India’s integration with the Asia-Pacific region, impact of mega-regional trade agreements, and various determinants of external trade and integration policies of China and India. Dr. Palit will be joining the LKI Round Table via video conference.

Amitendu Palit On Managing Effective Trade

The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies recently hosted a Foreign Policy Round Table titled ‘Managing Effective Trade—Sri Lanka and International Experiences’ on 4 September 2018. This round table supported by The Asia Foundation featured Professor Sirimal Abeyratne, University of Colombo; Dr. Amitendu Palit, Institute of South Asian Studies Singapore (ISAS); and Ms. Elizabeth Ward, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia (DFAT).

Ms. Elizabeth Ward is the Chief Negotiator for Australia in the Australia-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement Negotiations, launched in May 2017. From 2014-early 2017 she was Australia’s Chief Negotiator in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiation, and from 2012-2014 the Deputy Chief Negotiator. From 2010-2014 she oversighted Australian negotiations on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, and the ITA extension, as well as work on technical barriers to trade. From 2007 to late 2010 she was Minister-Counsellor for Trade Policy in the Australian Embassy, Washington DC.

Elizabeth Ward On Managing Effective Trade

The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies recently hosted a Foreign Policy Round Table titled ‘Managing Effective Trade—Sri Lanka and International Experiences’ on 4 September 2018. This round table supported by The Asia Foundation featured Professor Sirimal Abeyratne, University of Colombo; Dr. Amitendu Palit, Institute of South Asian Studies Singapore (ISAS); and Ms. Elizabeth Ward, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia (DFAT).

Professor Sirimal Abeyratne is a Professor of Economics at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Prof. Abeyratne's teaching and research interests are in the field of international trade and development. He has published a series of research work in the areas of regional trade, policy reforms and liberalisation, economic dimensions of civil conflicts, development policy issues, and the current economic affairs and issues relating to growth and stability. Professor Abeyratne has been a Visiting Fellow at universities in Japan, Australia, Italy and Vietnam.

Sirimal Abeyratne On Managing Effective Trade

The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI) hosted a panel discussion titled ‘From Counterterrorism to Recovery: Lessons from International Experience’ on 10 July 2019, with the support of the US Embassy in Sri Lanka. 

The panelists were Dr. Todd C. Helmus, Senior Behavioral Scientist at the Rand Corporation; Mr. John T. Godfrey, Deputy Coordinator for Regional & Multilateral Affairs, Bureau Of Counterterrorism & Countering Violent Extremism, US State Department; Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict; and Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Senior Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, Executive Director, LKI. HE Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, gave the closing remarks. 

Read the key takeaways from the panel discussion here: https://www.lki.lk/publication/takeaways-from-counterterrorism-to-recovery-lessons-from-international-experience/

Closing Remarks by HE Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Summary by Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, LKI

Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Central Bank of Sri Lanka

Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, former USG of the UN Special Representative For Children & Armed Conflict

Dr. Todd C. Helmus, Rand Corporation

Mr. John Godfrey, Bureau of Counterterrorism & Countering Violent Extremism, US State Department

Opening Remarks by Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, LKI

LKI is a think tank that analyses Sri Lanka’s international relations and strategic interests, to provide insights and recommendations that advance justice, peace, prosperity, and sustainability. The Institute reflects the vision of the late Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar by promoting the country’s intellectual profile in foreign policy research and engagement.

Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI)

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