Professor Fazeeha Azmi has assumed duties as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador-designate to Iran, becoming the country’s first female envoy appointed to the post.
She formally assumed duties at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tehran on June 30.
Addressing embassy staff, Prof. Azmi outlined the Government’s priorities and stressed the importance of strengthening Sri Lanka’s longstanding ties with Iran, as well as with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, where she is also accredited.
She identified trade, employment opportunities, education, pharmaceuticals, tourism and cultural cooperation as key areas for expanding bilateral relations, while calling for renewed efforts to attract Iranian tourists to Sri Lanka in collaboration with the country’s outbound travel industry.
Prior to her appointment, Prof. Azmi served as Professor of Geography at the University of Peradeniya. She has more than two decades of experience in academia and research, with expertise in areas including migration, tourism, post-war development, urban heritage and poverty.
A graduate of the University of Peradeniya, she obtained her M.Phil. and Ph.D. from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and has held academic appointments in Sri Lanka, India, Norway, Fiji and Canada. (Newswire)