High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Zealand

Sri Lanka reaffirms commitment to achieving reconciliation through domestic mechanisms at the 60th UN Human Rights Council Read more : mfa.gov.lk/en/sri-lanka-r… #DiplomacyLK #lka #HRC60 @UNGeneva

At the 60th #HRC, I stressed that Sri Lanka is committed to advancing human rights and reconciliation through credible domestic processes. We seek constructive engagement and genuine support from the international community.

At the 60th UNHRC Session, I reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to reconciliation, noting that a large majority of land has already been released. #UNHRC60 #SriLanka

Statement delivered by Hon. Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism at the 60th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva 08 September 2025 Read the Statement: mfa.gov.lk/en/statement-d… #DiplomacyLK #lka #HRC60 @UNGeneva @HMVijithaHerath

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka crowned World’s Most Beautiful Island 2025! 🏝️✨ From golden beaches to misty tea hills, ancient temples to wild safaris — this paradise has it all. Come see why Marco Polo called it “the finest island of its size in the world”! 🌿🌊🐘 #SriLanka #Travel2025

Deeply saddened to learn about the tragic air crash in Dhaka and the loss of many lives including young students. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all the bereaved families. We wish a swift recovery to those injured. Sri Lanka stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is ready to extend all possible assistance during this difficult time.

High Commissioner @PrasannaGamag13 met with @simonjbridges , CEO of @aklchamber , to discuss strengthening Sri Lanka–New Zealand trade ties. Key topics included future business delegations, chamber cooperation, and trade event participation. 🇱🇰🤝🇳🇿 #SriLanka #NewZealand #Trade

The 23rd ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief held in Colombo Highlights the Importance of Youth Engagement in Sustainable Disaster Relief Measures Read more: mfa.gov.lk/en/the-23rd-ar… #DiplomacyLk #lKa #ARF

The Minister is interviewed by @NewsfirstSL’s Jayamal Rathnayake for “Face to Face”. They discussed the uncertain international environment, the Minister’s impressions of Sri Lanka, and enhancing cooperation between New Zealand & Sri Lanka. @Jayamal_Rath 🇱🇰 🤝 🇳🇿

The Minister met Sajith Premadasa, Sri Lanka’s Leader of the Opposition, and a range of Opposition MPs. They exchanged perspectives on New Zealand-Sri Lanka cooperation, geostrategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and our shared experiences as trade-dependent, island nations. @sajithpremadasa 🇱🇰 🤝 🇳🇿

The Minister met with some Sri Lankan sporting greats today. He heard about the many recent exciting and successful sporting tours between New Zealand & Sri Lanka, including in cricket and rugby, and about the many opportunities for further collaboration. 🇱🇰 🤝 🇳🇿

The Minister had a productive discussion with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Harini Amarasuriya. Recalling the Prime Minister’s previous travel to New Zealand in August 2023 as part of the women’s Parliamentary caucus, they noted the importance of political systems being representative of the communities they served. They also discussed New Zealand’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, including via enhanced cooperation in technical education, agriculture, tourism & sport. @Dr_HariniA 🇱🇰 🤝 🇳🇿

The Minister visited Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo this morning to learn more about the role of Buddhism in Sri Lanka along with its many other faiths. 1/2 🇱🇰 🤝 🇳🇿

It was an opportunity to experience Sri Lanka’s rich cultural history and build understanding between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. 2/2 🇱🇰 🤝 🇳🇿

It was a pleasure to welcome Hon. @winstonpeters and his high-level delegation to Sri Lanka, marking the highest-level visit from New Zealand in recent years. This milestone visit reflects the deepening of our bilateral relations, following the establishment of resident missions in Colombo and Wellington. Our talks focused on building a dynamic and multifaceted partnership across trade, investment, agriculture, education, tourism, and sports. We agreed to work towards a formal Trade and Economic Dialogue, promoting collaboration across key sectors. We explored enhancing trade—especially in dairy, fresh produce, and processed food—while appreciating New Zealand’s continued support to Sri Lanka’s dairy industry, including the transformative Dairy Excellence Training Initiative (DETI). We discussed increasing tourism flows through joint promotion and investment, and deepening people-to-people connections. Education and skills training are key pillars in our cooperation, with over 1,200 Sri Lankan students in New Zealand and plans to grow academic partnerships and vocational training programmes. Migration governance and safe, regular migration pathways were reviewed positively, including the role of the Migrant Information Centre in Batticaloa. We expressed interest in cooperation between Sri Lanka’s CIABOC and New Zealand’s anti-corruption agencies, and explored greater collaboration in cricket, rugby, and women’s empowerment initiatives in entrepreneurship, diplomacy, and financial literacy. We deeply value the contributions of the Sri Lankan community in New Zealand and recognize their important role in strengthening ties between our two countries. This visit reaffirms our commitment to advancing a shared vision for peace, prosperity, and regional cooperation, underpinned by common values and a rules-based international order. 🇱🇰🤝🇳🇿 #SriLanka #NewZealand #ForeignAffairs #BilateralRelations #Diplomacy #Trade #Education #Tourism #Partnership

The Minister attended a tea & cinnamon tasting led by @Dilmah Chief Executive @dilhanfernando & Brand Marketing Specialist Amrit Fernando. The event celebrated the decades-long connection between Dilmah & NZ, which has been a pillar of the 🇱🇰-🇳🇿 trading relationship. 🇱🇰 🤝 🇳🇿

The President of Sri Lanka and the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand. @PMDNewsGov @anuradisanayake 🇱🇰 🤝 🇳🇿

The Minister met the President of Sri Lanka, @anuradisanayake this afternoon. They discussed: -Further boosting New Zealand-Sri Lanka cooperation, incl in the areas of agriculture, education, tourism & sport; -The New Zealand Government’s commitment to enhance engagement with South & South East Asia; -The priorities of the new Sri Lankan Government, including on economic development & reconciliation; and -The uncertain & challenging geostrategic environment and international economic outlook, and the importance of small state cooperation. @PMDNewsGov @MFA_SriLanka @NZinSriLanka @PrasannaGamag13 🇱🇰 🤝 🇳🇿