Monday Nov 18, 2024
Monday Nov 18, 2024
Tuesday, 2 July 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
On 27 June, High Commissioner Sashikala Premawardhane presented Letters of Credence to President of the Republic of Singapore Halimah Yacob. The credentials ceremony took place at the Istana, the official residence and the office of the President of Singapore and included a Guard of Honour. The Guard of Honour was followed by the presentation of credentials and a courtesy call on the President of Singapore. Senior officials of the President’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore were associated with the meeting.
High Commissioner Premawardhane conveyed warm greetings from President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, and spoke of her intention of further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries particularly in view of the significant milestone of 50 years of diplomatic relations which would be coming up in 2020.
High Commissioner Premawardhane briefed President Yacob on the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday attacks and highlighted that Sri Lanka had returned to normalcy and was safe for travellers. She stated that the two countries should explore further expansion of trade and investment ties between the two countries in the future.
While wishing the High Commissioner success in her new assignment as Sri Lanka’s envoy to Singapore, President Halimah Yacob warmly recalled two recent meetings that took place with President Sirisena in 2019. Whilst inquiring about the post Easter Sunday situation in Sri Lanka President Yacob referred to the steps taken by Singapore to promote racial and inter-religious harmony. High Commissioner Premawardhane expressed keen interest in learning from those experiences.
Prior to being appointed as High Commissioner to Singapore, Sashikala Premawardhane served as Director General, Policy Planning and Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, a position she held from January 2019 onwards. She also served as the first Director General of Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change from March 2017 to January 2019. Her appointments in Colombo also include a secondment at the Ministry of Defence as Senior Assistant Secretary (Foreign Affairs). High Commissioner Sashikala Premawardhane joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1998 and is a past pupil of Bishop’s College, Colombo.
