Ambassador of Sri Lanka presents Letters of Credence to the President of Ethiopia

The newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Nirmala Indumathie Dias Paranavitana, presented her Letters of Credence to the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Taye Atske Selassie, at a formal ceremony held at the National Palace in Addis Ababa on 23 June 2026. The ceremony was conducted in accordance with the diplomatic traditions and State Protocol of Ethiopia and included full ceremonial honours, a Guard of Honour, and the formal presentation of credentials. Following the presentation ceremony, President Taye Atske Selassie held an audience with Ambassador Paranavitana. During the discussions, the President recalled with appreciation the valuable contribution made by Sri Lankan (Ceylon) teachers in Ethiopia in previous decades and expressed fond memories of the longstanding educational cooperation between the two countries. He also commended the warmth and hospitality of the Sri Lankan people and underscored the importance of further strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in multilateral fora. The President assured his fullest support for the activities of the Embassy and encouraged continued engagement to explore new avenues of cooperation. Ambassador Paranavitana conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of the President and the people of Sri Lanka to the President and the people of Ethiopia and reaffirmed Sri Lanka's commitment to further strengthening the longstanding friendship between the two countries. She also expressed Sri Lanka's readiness to work closely with Ethiopia to expand cooperation in the political, economic, trade, educational, and multilateral spheres, while promoting investment, people-to-people contacts, and enhanced collaboration in international fora. The discussions focused on expanding bilateral cooperation and exploring opportunities to strengthen economic and trade relations, promote investment, enhance educational and cultural exchanges, and deepen engagement between the peoples of the two countries. Both sides reiterated their commitment to advancing the longstanding friendship and mutually beneficial partnership between Sri Lanka and Ethiopia. The presentation of credentials marks a new chapter in Sri Lanka–Ethiopia relations and provides renewed opportunities to further enhance collaboration in areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, education, tourism, culture, and multilateral cooperation, particularly in view of Ethiopia's important role as the diplomatic capital of Africa and host to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Ambassador Paranavitana is a career diplomat of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service with extensive experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. Prior to her appointment in Addis Ababa, she served as a Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has held assignments at Sri Lanka Missions in Japan, Sweden, Myanmar, India, and at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York. She completed studies from University of Delhi and the Australian National University, the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS/BIDTI), and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). She was selected as a United Nations Law Fellow at The Hague Academy of International Law in 2024 and has a strong academic background in international law and security studies.

Ambassador of Sri Lanka presents Letters of Credence to the President of Ethiopia | Colombo Gazette