Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Monday, 8 July 2019 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Ambassador-designate of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Indonesia Yasoja Gunasekara assumed duties on 1 July.
Gunasekera called on the Director General for Protocol and Consular Affairs/Chief of State Protocol soon after arrival in Jakarta and will meet the President and Committee members of the Association of Sri Lankans in Indonesia on 6 July.
Historical links, high level contacts, people to people contact and geographical proximity as neighbours in the Indian Ocean community are the key pillars for the bonds of friendship between Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Following the State Visit of President Maithripala Sirisena to Indonesia in 2017 and the State Visit of President of Indonesia Joko Widodo to Sri Lanka in 2018, the multifaceted ties between the two countries have been further strengthened. Indonesia will be the fourth largest economy in the world by 2030 as per the recent Standard Chartered Bank Report. Further, Sri Lanka is actively working towards becoming a Sectoral Dialogue Partner in ASEAN following the submission of application in 2018. The Sri Lanka Ambassador to Jakarta is also accredited to ASEAN.
Gunasekera was welcomed by the staff of the Embassy and assumed duties after a ceremony which included Seth Pirith chanted by Indonesian Buddhist clergy from Vihara Jakarta Dhammacakka Jaya, which is closely connected with the Embassy and the Sri Lankan community in Jakarta. This was followed by lighting of ceremonial lamp and morning dana served with Sri Lankan sweetmeats.
Ambassador Gunasekera joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1996 and has served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Missions of Sri Lanka including New Delhi, New York and Guangzhou, China where she established the Consulate General of Sri Lanka. Most recently she served as High Commissioner in Dhaka until 2017 and as Director General of South Asia and SAARC at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka.
