Foreign Ministry to be relocated to Colombo-7

The Government has decided to shift the Foreign Affairs Ministry to Colombo 7 from Fort at present. 

A decision to this effect was made by the Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on Monday.

The Government said several divisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were maintained in different venues from the head office due to lack of sufficient building space within the Republic building where the Ministry is located at present. 

“This situation has led to various administrative shortcomings whereas construction of a sufficient building to cater to the contemporary requirements of the Ministry has been recognised,” the Government said. 

Given the need for a fully-fledged complex the Cabinet has approved the proposal by Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris to allocate a plot from the land currently utilised by the Industrial Technological Institute (ITI) at Vidya Mawatha, Colombo 7, which belongs to the Urban Development Authority.