Aruni replaces namesake as new Foreign Secretary

Wednesday, 20 November 2024 00:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Aruni Ranaraja

The President’s Office yesterday announced the appointment of career diplomat Aruni Ranaraja as the new Foreign Secretary. She succeeds Aruni Wijewardane, who served in the post since May 2022.

A career Sri Lanka Foreign Service officer, Ranaraja counts 28 years of service in the Foreign Ministry. She has served both at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sri Lanka Missions abroad, in various capacities including as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Netherlands and the Philippines. She also served as the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Immediately prior to her appointment she served as Additional Secretary and Chief of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since April 2024.

Ranaraja holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the State University of Ukraine and Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from the same university. In addition to her native languages, she is fluent in English and Russian, and understands Japanese.