Sri Lanka’s 1st resident Ambassador to Ethiopia Sumith Dassanayake presents credentials to President

Sri Lanka’s first resident Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Sumith Dassanayake presented credentials to the President of Ethiopia Mulatu Teshome at the Presidential Palace in Addis Ababa on Thursday 9 March. Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake is also the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the African Union.

The credentials ceremony at the National Palace included a brief meeting with the President, guard of honour and playing of the national anthems of the two countries.

During the discussion, which followed the presentation of credentials, Ambassador Dassanayake conveyed the greetings and best wishes of the President, Prime Minister and the people of Sri Lanka to the President and the Government of Ethiopia which was warmly reciprocated. The Ambassador said that he is honoured and privileged to take up the post as Sri Lanka’s first resident Ambassador in Ethiopia. The President referred to the fruitful discussions he had with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera a few weeks ago at the National Palace during the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister’s official visit to Ethiopia. The Ambassador also informed of the invitation extended to the President Mulatu Teshome to visit Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka established formal Diplomatic relations with Ethiopia in 1972. The Embassy of Sri Lanka was officially opened on 2 February 2017 by the Foreign Ministers of Sri Lanka and Ethiopia during Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s official visit to Ethiopia. 

Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake is a career diplomat joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1998. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. He has held diplomatic positions at the Sri Lanka Missions in Canada, Norway and India.