High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

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 the staff officers of the Ministry.

 A Member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, Foreign Secretary Wijewardane counts 34 years in the Foreign Service and has held many positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo, at Sri Lanka Missions overseas and in international organizations. Her service overseas includes the Sri Lanka Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, Sri Lanka High Commission in Malaysia and the Sri Lanka Embassy in the Philippines. She also served as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Austria and the Permanent Representative to UN Organizations in Vienna.

Currently Sri Lanka is facing social, economic and financial distress creating hardships to its people due to the long lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, global political imbalances and macroeconomic imbalances of the country. Although the authorities are taking measures to address the above situation of the country, including taking steps to actively manage its debt obligations, finding immediate financial assistance from other nations and progressing at the discussions with the International Monetary Fund for a comprehensive programme, the positive impacts of such measures will benefit the people only in the medium to long term. Therefore, urgent measures are needed to enhance the foreign reserve position of the country to meet its day-to-day essential imports including food, fuel and medicine. 

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Sri Lanka Tourism is navigating the current macro-environmental conditions in the country with great care, taking all necessary measures to ensure continuity of regular operations with minimum interruptions. In this regard a special operations unit has been set up within Sri Lanka Tourism to facilitate with all required assistance for tourists who are already in Sri Lanka and to provide accurate information for potential visitors planning visits to Sri Lanka. The unit will be a 24/7 operation that can be reached through, hotline 1912 (within Sri Lanka) or +94112426800 (outside Sri Lanka) and via email info@srilanka.travel.

The tourism industry is gradually emerging from the after effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and is seeing green shoots of recovery where March recorded the highest number of visitors of 106,500 since tourism reopening.

Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa who is on a two-day official visit to New Delhi held bilateral talks with the External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar this evening (16). The talks were held at the Hyderabad House, the official State Guest House of the Government of India. 

The two Ministers held talks on a range of issues pertaining to the bilateral relationship, particularly on those that are related to the economic partnership between the two countries. Finance Minister Rajapaksa thanked the External Affairs Minister Jaishankar for the assistance extended by India to Sri Lanka. Minister Jaishankar assured Minister Rajapaksa that India would continue to respond to the requirements of the people of Sri Lanka.