Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry chaired the first diplomatic briefing for Colombo-based diplomatic corps for the New Year at the Ministry on 10 January 2023. Minister Sabry at the outset highlighted that Sri Lanka is looking towards 2023 as a year of socio-economic stabilization, reconciliation and recovery and outlined several areas of progress made.
The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva was established in June 1965. The first Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), Mr Rex Koelmeyer presented credentials on 23 June 1965.The present Ambassador/Permanent Representative H.E. Mr. Ravinatha Aryasinha presented credentials on 19 July 2012. The Mission functions as the Permanent delegation of Sri Lanka to all UN and other international organizations in Switzerland including the World Trade Organization. It also has concurrent accreditation as Sri Lanka s Embassy to the Holy See.The Mission represents Sri Lanka s national interests in various UN and other international organizations based in Switzerland. The Consulate General of Sri Lanka, housed in the Mission premises, provides various consular assistance to the approximately 35,000-strong Sri Lankan community in Switzerland. The Sri Lanka Embassy in Germany has concurrent accreditation to Switzerland.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris, Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and the Secretary, Foreign Affairs Aruni Wijewardane as well as heads of all overseas missions participated in a webinar, discussing current economic channellings that the country is experiencing and seeking remedies through the overseas missions on 7 June 2022..
The new Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aruni Wijewardane assumed duties at the Foreign Ministry on 23 May, 2022. She was appointed as the Secretary with effect from 20 May, 2022. After a simple ceremony following the assumption of duties, Foreign Secretary Wijewardane addressed th