Sri Lanka Envoy Moragoda attends G20 Space Economy Leaders' meet in Shillong

Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], April 20 : The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda, attended the G20 Space Economy Leaders' meeting in Shillong, Meghalaya.

According to the official release of the High Commission of Sri Lanka, the envoy was invited by ISRO (Indian Space Research Orgsation) to participate in the meeting.

Other non-G20 countries represented at the meeting included Bhutan and Oman.

In line with the efforts to place the 'space economy' as a formal item on the G20 agenda, the Indian Space Research Orgsation (ISRO) orgzed an 'inception meeting' of Space Economy Leaders in Shillong, Meghalaya under India's G20 Presidency of India from April 17-18, the official release said.

High Commissioner Moragoda, in his intervention at the meeting, stated that Sri Lanka's participation at this forum was a direct result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to include "Voices from the Global South" in G20 activities.

Moragoda stated that the purpose of this meeting was to discuss the value of the space economy to the global economy and to promote communication and information sharing about the current situation of the space industry in the G20 nations, according to the official release.

The Indian Space Research Orgsation (ISRO) is the national space agency of India.

In this context, High Commissioner Moragoda stated that Sri Lanka stood ready to collaborate with the G20 under India's Presidency to explore ways and means in which non-G20 countries can benefit from the space economy, the size of which is expected to reach USD 1 trillion by 2040.

Sri Lanka through the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies has been collaborating for some time with ISRO and other international agencies in an effort to take advantage of this fast-growing sector.

The use of satellite technology to promote Sri Lankan agriculture, education, climate change, fisheries, health, and telecommunications are only a few examples of practical applications. Clarke, after whom the Clarke Belt or Orbit is called, was an honorary citizen of Sri Lanka.