Aug 19, Colombo: Sri Lanka has decided to seek the assistance of Australian volunteers for development programs of the country, especially in field of education.

The Cabinet of Ministers has recently granted approval to a proposal brought by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Finance and Planning to enter into a subsidiary arrangement with the Australian government to obtain the services of Australian volunteers for development programs.

The proposed program will provide an opportunity for the Australian volunteers to share their skills and knowledge with local counterparts for a period ranging from 6 months to 3 years.

The program is expected to foster links between organizations and communities in the two countries.

Under the program, the volunteers will be deployed for development programs in coordination with Aus-Aid's Development Cooperation Programme in Sri Lanka.

The Australian government will bear all the relevant expenses of the program.