President stresses need for good Foreign Service

• Foreign Ministry currently formulating draft of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy and Foreign Service for 2030

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday stressed the need of a good foreign service which will be able to forge broader relations with many countries while safeguarding the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.

The President also said that the Foreign Ministry is currently formulating a draft of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy and Foreign Service for 2030 which is expected to get the approval from the Cabinet and the Parliament.

“The prime objective is to draft a new foreign policy and secondly make friends. There will be economic plans as well as the security objectives and the climate change objectives that the country has to fulfil. This will depend on how the newly appointed Heads of Missions perform,” President said during an interaction with 10 newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassadors and a High Commissioner prior to their departure.

The President emphasised that the most important objective is to build on the contacts within the respective country and to safeguard the rights of Sri Lankans overseas and also help the diaspora but not to get involved in the politics of the Sri Lankan diaspora. The President also mentioned that Sri Lanka will have a Sri Lankan Diaspora office to deal with the political issues that the diaspora has, and they can be addressed by the new office.

The President said the Department of Commerce will be replaced by an International Trade office since a lot of work in many areas pertains to trade that will benefit the economy. Therefore, an International Trade office will be an important part of this. The President also emphasised the need to strengthen the relationship between the respective countries and expand trade, investment, tourism, economic, political, security, agriculture, employment opportunities, labour, skilled migration, education and marine issues.

Chithranganee Wagiswara who was appointed as the High Commissioner to Australia, the Ambassador to France Manisha Gunasekara, the Ambassador of Bahrain H.M.G.R.R.K. Wijerathne Mendis, the Ambassador to Vietnam Dr. A.S.U. Mendis, the Ambassador to Lebanon Kapila Jayaweera, the Ambassador to Germany Varuni Muthukumarana, the Ambassador to Israel M.H.M.N. Bandara, the Ambassador to Ethiopia K.K.T. Kumarasiri, the Ambassador to Jordan Priyangika Wijegunasekara, the Ambassador to the Philippines Dr. C.H. Thalpahewa and the Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Udaya Indrarathna and other Foreign Ministry officials were present at the discussion with the President.