The new Deputy Minister of External Affairs, Gitanjana Gunawardena assumed duties at the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday 26th April 2010. He was welcomed on arrival at the Ministry by Mr. Jayantha Palipane, the Acting Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs and other senior Ministry officials.

Addressing the invitees and staff of the Ministry, the Deputy Minister stated he is assuming duties as the Deputy Minister of External Affairs at a momentous time in the history of our country when terrorism has been defeated and the people have given a resounding mandate to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to take the country forward towards making Sri Lanka ‘the wonder of Asia’.

The Deputy Minister said he feels privileged to assume duties as the Deputy Minister of External Affairs at a time when under the Mahinda Chintanaya, the country will follow a foreign policy based on non alignment. He recalled the non aligned foreign policy followed by Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) as far back as 1956, when, following the victory of the electoral alliance formed under the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (People’s United Front), the country opted for a non aligned foreign policy based on the pancha seela, namely, co-existence, non-aggression, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, respect for each other’s sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit.

The Deputy Minister expressed confidence that together with the new Minister, Prof. G. L. Peiris, the officers and staff of the Ministry and Missions abroad, the External Affairs Ministry would be able to win over the outside world in taking the country towards a prosperous future.

A simple ceremony was organized at the Ministry to welcome the new Deputy Minister who will also function as the Acting Minister of External Affairs until the return of Prof. G. L. Peiris, the new Minister of External Affairs, who is presently attending the 16th SAARC Summit in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Ministry of External Affairs
Colombo

26th April 2010