Historic welcome of new diplomats despite COVID-19

The new High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay presented his Letter of Credence (credentials) to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday in a ceremony held through video-conferencing. Pic courtesy Indian High Commission

Ambassador for the Federative Republic of Brazil, Ambassador for the Islamic Republic of Iran and the High Commissioner of the Republic of India, based in Colombo presented their credentials to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo yesterday. It was a historic moment as the credentials were presented via a video conferencing ceremony.

This is the first time in Sri Lanka for this solemn ceremony to be conducted using internet technologies. Instead of postponing the presentation ceremony until the COVID-19 crisis ends, the President instructed for the ceremony to proceed as per schedule. This is one of the many innovative ways adapted by Sri Lanka in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result Sri Lanka, while successfully containing the virus, had continued to make progressive steps socially and economically and now diplomatically.

It was a relatively short ceremony. The diplomats presented their credentials to the President by displaying it to the camera. Afterwards, the President welcomed them. The envoys who presented their credentials today were: Sergio Luiz Canaes, Ambassador-designate of the Federative Republic of Brazil based in Colombo; Hashem Ashjazadeh, Ambassador-designate of the Islamic Republic of Iran based in Colombo, and Gopal Baglay High Commissioner-designate of the Republic of India based in Colombo. Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, President’s Secretary P.B. Jayasundara, Ministry of Foreign Relations Secretary Ravinath Aryasinha and Foreign Relations Additional Secretary to the President Admiral Jayanath Colombage also participated at the ceremony.