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Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (also known as the Foreign Ministry) is a ministry
of the Government of Sri Lanka that conducts and manages Sri Lanka's relations with other countries. The ministry is housed at the Republic Building
in Colombo fort
.
The ministry was formally established in 1948 following the independence of Ceylon as the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
, coming under the direct control of the Prime Minister of Ceylon. In 1977, J.R Jayawardena
's government adapted two separate ministries, forming the Ministry of Defence
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A.C.S Hameed
was appointed as Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry has 40 overseas missions including 13 High Commissions, 40 Embassies, 2 Permanent Representations to the United Nations
, 14 consulates and a representative office. It provides consular assistance to Sri Lankans traveling, working and studying overseas.
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
of the Government of Sri Lanka that conducts and manages Sri Lanka's relations with other countries. The ministry is housed at the Republic Building
Republic Building, Colombo
The Republic Building, is the building that houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in southern wing and the Cabinet Office in its northern wing. Situated in the Colombo fort in close proximity to the President's House, Colombo...
in Colombo fort
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
.
The ministry was formally established in 1948 following the independence of Ceylon as the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
The Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was a ministry of the Government of Ceylon that conducted and managed all of Ceylon's relations with other countries and its military matters from 1947 to 1977.-History:...
, coming under the direct control of the Prime Minister of Ceylon. In 1977, J.R Jayawardena
Junius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene , famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the first executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 till 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence...
's government adapted two separate ministries, forming the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces....
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A.C.S Hameed
Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed
Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed was a Sri Lankan diplomat and political figure.Hameed, a member of Sri Lanka's Muslim minority, was born in the town of Kurugoda, Akurana. He became active in the United National Party and after it won elections in 1977 he became one of the highest-ranking members of the...
was appointed as Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry has 40 overseas missions including 13 High Commissions, 40 Embassies, 2 Permanent Representations to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, 14 consulates and a representative office. It provides consular assistance to Sri Lankans traveling, working and studying overseas.
Senior officials
- Minister of Foreign AffairsMinister of Foreign Affairs of Sri LankaThe Minister of Foreign Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1978 when the former Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was separated into two ministries...
— Prof. G. L. PeirisG. L. PeirisGamini Lakshman Peiris is a Sri Lankan politician and academic... - Deputy Minister — Neomal PereraNeomal PereraGamamedaliyanage Joseph Lalith Neomal Perera is a Sri Lankan politician, a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and a government minister.-References:...
- Permanent SecretaryPermanent SecretaryThe Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
— Karunatilaka AmunugamaKarunatilaka AmunugamaKarunatilaka Amunugama is a Sri Lankan diplomat who served as Ambassador to Thailand, Japan and China. He was succeeded by Ranjit Uyangoda on the 16th August 2011 as Ambassador to China. He is now the secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs....
, SLOSSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka...
Divisions
- General Administration Division
- Overseas Administration Division
- Consular Affairs Division
- Protocol Division
- Public Communications Division
- Economic Affairs Division
- Finance Division
- IT Division
- Legal Division
- United Nations and Multilateral Affairs Division
- South Asia and SAARC Division
- Middle East and Africa Division
- Europe, Americas and CIS Division
- East Asia and Pacific Division
Statutory institutions
- Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic StudiesLakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic StudiesLakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies is a Sri Lankan research institute in the area of international affairs. Inaugurated on 10 August 2006 it is named after Lakshman Kadirgamar a former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Its current Director-General is C.A.N....
(LKIIRSS) - Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Co-operation (IOMAC)
Permanent Secretaries
Incomplete- W.T Jayasinghe
- Bernard TilakaratnaBernard TilakaratnaBernard Tilakaratna, SLOS was a senior diplomat and bureaucrat of the Sri Lankan government. He was an ambassador to many countries and prior to retirement was the permanent secretary to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.-Early life:...
, SLOSSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka... - Rodney VandergertRodney VandergertRodney Clement Austen Vandergert was a prominent Sri Lankan diplomat and civil servant, who served as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka and Chairman of the Public Service Commission...
, SLOSSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka... - Wilhelm WouterszWilhelm WouterszThelmuth Harris Wilhelm Woutersz was a prominent Sri Lankan diplomat and civil servant, who served as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka. He had served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to People’s Republic of China, Italy & Yugoslavia.-Education:Wilhelm Woutersz was...
, SLOSSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka... - R. C. Vendargart, SLOSSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka...
- Lionel Fernando, SLASSri Lanka Administrative ServiceThe Sri Lanka Administrative Service is the key administrative service of the Government of Sri Lanka, with civil servants working for both in the Central Government as well as in the provincial councils. It was formed as the Ceylon Administrative Service in 1963 as the successor to the Ceylon...
- G. Wijesiri, SLOSSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka...
- Nihal RodrigoNihal RodrigoNihal Rodrigo is a Sri Lankan diplomat who served as the sixth secretary-general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation from January 1, 1999 to January 10, 2002.-References:...
, SLOSSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka... - B. A. B. Goonetilleke, SLOSSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka...
- H.M.G.S. Palihakkara, SLOSSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka...
- Dr. Palitha T.B. KohonaPalitha KohonaPalitha T. B. Kohona is a Sri Lankan born diplomat. He is the current the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN. Until August 2009 he was the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Sri Lanka and was the former Secretary-General of the Secretariat for...
See also
- Minister of Foreign AffairsMinister of Foreign Affairs of Sri LankaThe Minister of Foreign Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1978 when the former Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was separated into two ministries...
- Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka Overseas ServiceSri Lanka Overseas ServiceThe Sri Lanka Overseas Service which is most commonly referred to as the Sri Lanka Foreign Service is the foreign service of Sri Lanka. It is the body of career diplomats of Sri Lanka...
- Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats
- List of diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka
- Diplomatic missions of Sri LankaDiplomatic missions of Sri LankaThis is a list of diplomatic missions of Sri Lanka, excluding honorary consulates.-Europe:** Vienna ** Brussels ** Paris ** Berlin ** Frankfurt ** Rome ** The Hague...
- Foreign relations of Sri LankaForeign relations of Sri LankaForeign relations of Sri Lanka refers to the diplomatic and commercial relations between Sri Lanka and other countries. Sri Lanka has stressed its principle of friendship towards all, enmity towards none in its diplomacy. Sri Lanka traditionally follows a Non-Aligned Foreign Policy and does not...
- South Asian Association for Regional CooperationSouth Asian Association for Regional CooperationThe South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is an organisation of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 by Ziaur Rahman and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasising collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh,...