Foreign Ministry orientation program for ambassadors and high commissioners-designate

The Policy Planning, Research and Human Resources Development Division of the Foreign Ministry, under the guidance of the Foreign Secretary, successfully conducted a two-week long orientation program for newly-appointed ambassadors/high commissioners-designate.  

The program was inaugurated on 5 October at the Foreign Ministry in the presence of State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya and Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage. The ambassadors/high commissioners-designate to Afghanistan, China, France, India, Japan, Kenya, USA and Permanent Representative-designate to United Nations – New York attended the inaugural session. 

THE orientation program, which was mainly conducted on a virtual platform due to the pandemic situation, aimed to provide an outline of the Foreign Policy of the Government of Sri Lanka as per the vision of the President and the National Policy Framework (NPF) of the Government, ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’. 

In keeping with the Government policy to lead a stronger economic drive, the program had a greater focus on economic diplomacy while enhancing the knowledge and understanding on current status of Sri Lanka’s bilateral, multilateral engagements, defence and security cooperation, public diplomacy, overseas Sri Lankans, protocol and consular affairs, and COVID-19 related activities.

 Further, the program included briefings by key stakeholders related to Mission functions such as the Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB), Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Board of Investment (BOI), Export Development Board (EDB), and Department of Commerce (DoC). With a view to sensitising the heads of Mission-designate on the developments in Sri Lanka which have a stronger impact on its foreign policy, the program included briefings and panel discussions on national security and foreign policy, Sri Lanka’s strategic importance in the Indian Ocean and on the economic challenges and developments in Sri Lanka which were attended by the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance amongst several other eminent specialists in their respective areas.  

These heads of Missions-designate are expected to assume duties in their respective capitals soon.