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, translations of Sri Lankan documents etc.
During the Consular Mobile Service, the 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 with 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 20 January. On 21 January 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 stated that Sri Lankan migrant workers are well integrated into the social, labor, and cultural fabric of the island. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of implementing cooperation between the two sides in the field of labor and vocational training with a view of enhancing the living conditions of Sri Lankans in Sicily.
On 23 January 2023, the Sri Lankan delegation visited Palermo, which was the first ever visit of a Sri Lankan Ambassador to the island capital. The Ambassador met with 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.
Further Ambassador Welawatte proposed the implemention of sister city programmes, tourism promotion activities as well as conducting vocational training programmes for the children of migrant workers. The Ambassador proposed the possibility of an MoU between the Municipality of Palermo and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka on the establishment of a cultural center 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 held with the purpose of finding common projects to assist the Sri Lankan workers and their families in Sicily.
