President's France Visit Postponed Due to Diplomatic Scheduling, Not Visa Issues: Cabinet Spokesman

16-Jul-2026

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Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa dismissed as baseless social media claims that President's official visit to France was postponed because a visa had been denied.

Addressing the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing at the Government Information Department on July 14, the Minister said the visit had been postponed by mutual agreement between Sri Lanka and France as part of ongoing diplomatic coordination.

He said false claims began circulating on social media after the Government officially announced the postponement of the visit, alleging that the French Government had refused to issue a visa to the President.

"The public should carefully consider who is spreading such misinformation and for what purpose," the Minister said.

He further stated that the proposed Online Safety legislation is intended, among other things, to enable legal action against those who deliberately create and disseminate false information that misleads the public.

"Such fabricated stories are one of the main reasons why measures to regulate harmful online content have become necessary," he added.

Minister Jayatissa reiterated that the postponement was based solely on bilateral diplomatic consultations between Sri Lanka and France.

A mutually convenient date for the visit will be officially announced in due course, he said, adding that neither the Sri Lankan Government nor the French Embassy had previously announced any official dates for the visit.