Ambassador Ranaviraja presents credentials as first Ambassador of Sri Lanka accredited to Principali

Saturday, 1 April 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ambassador Tilak Ranaviraja of France concurrently accredited to the Principality of Andorra presented his letter of credence to President François Hollande as the Co-Prince of Andorra on 3 March at the Elysée Palace in Paris. He was accompanied to the credential ceremony by his spouse Sunethra Ranaviraja.

During the brief discussion which followed, Ambassador Ranaviraja expressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in the fields of culture, trade, investment and tourism. He further referred to the robust trade and tourism industries in Andorra and the need to explore possibilities for knowledge sharing for mutual benefit.

The Principality of Andorra is located in a valley in the mid-Pyrenees, bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe, having an area of 468 km2 and a population of approximately 85,000. Andorra is a parliamentary co-principality with the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell (Caalonia, Spain) as Co-Princes. The friendly relations existing between Sri Lanka and the Principality of Andorra were formalised recently on 30 November 2016. Ambassador Ranaviraja is also set to present credentials Bishop of Urgell in Spain in the near future.