Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Agency overview
Formed	1948
Preceding agencies	Ministry of External Affairs and Defence (etc.)
Key document	(etc.)
Website
Official Website

Sri Lanka

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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.

Senior officials

• Minister of Foreign Affairs — Prof. G. L. Peiris
• Deputy Minister — Neomal Perera
• Permanent Secretary — Karunatilaka Amunugama, SLOS

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

The old Legislative Council Building, Colombo fort. Today houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS)
• Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Co-operation (IOMAC)

Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Main article: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka

Permanent Secretaries

Incomplete

• W.T Jayasinghe
• Bernard Tilakaratna, SLOS
• Rodney Vandergert, SLOS
• Wilhelm Woutersz, SLOS^[1]
• R. C. Vendargart, SLOS ^[2]
• Lionel Fernando, SLAS
• G. Wijesiri, SLOS
• Nihal Rodrigo, SLOS
• B. A. B. Goonetilleke, SLOS
• H.M.G.S. Palihakkara, SLOS
• Dr. Palitha T.B. Kohona

See also

• Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka Overseas Service
• Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats
• List of diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka
• Diplomatic missions of Sri Lanka
• Foreign relations of Sri Lanka
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

External links

1. ^ Wilhelm Woutersz, BY J. B. Muller
2. ^ Invest further for a fruitful harvest

• Government of Sri Lanka
• Official Website Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies
• A Sri Lankan Diplomatic Success Story in the 18th Century