High Commissioner-designate of Sri Lanka to Canberra, Australia, Yasoja Gunasekera, assumed duties this week (22 Apr).

Addressing the staff following the assumption of duties, High Commissioner-designate Gunasekera outlined the priorities of the Government of Sri Lanka and noted the long-standing and friendly relations between Sri Lanka and Australia, as well as the way forward to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.

She emphasized the need to intensify the promotion of tourism, trade and investment between the two countries and strengthen people-to-people ties. The High Commissioner-designate also highlighted the importance of ensuring the seamless delivery of consular services. She underscored the well-being of the Sri Lankan community in Australia as a top priority. She also reiterated the importance of collective efforts by the entire Mission in achieving these objectives.

According to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Canberra, a career Sri Lanka Foreign Service Officer with over 29 years of experience, Gunasekera topped the Sri Lanka Foreign Service Batch of 1996 and has served in various capacities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, the most recent being as the Additional Secretary for East Asia; Middle East and Africa. She has served as Ambassador to Jakarta, Indonesia and High Commissioner to Dhaka, Bangladesh and established the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Guangzhou, China. She also served at Sri Lanka Missions in New Delhi, India and in New York and Washington D.C. in the United States of America.

High Commissioner-designate Gunasekera holds a Master’s degree in Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University, Australia and an LLB Degree in Law from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. She is a past pupil of C.M.S. Ladies’ College, Colombo. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra, in partnership with the Australian government, arranged the illumination of the iconic Australian National monuments in the colours of the Sri Lankan National flag from the 03rd to the 6th of February 2023.

According to the Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra, the iconic Australian National monuments were illuminated to mark the 75th Anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence and the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic relations between Australia and Sri Lanka. 

Twelve (12) national monuments from Canberra (The Royal Australian Mint, Old Parliament, and Carillion); Melbourne (Flinders Street Railway Station); Queensland (Parliament, City Hall) and; Perth (Council House and five bridges) were lit up in the Sri Lankan flag colours to mark this historic milestone.

The Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra said in a statement that the illumination of iconic monuments symbolized the longstanding mutually rewarding friendship between Australia and Sri Lanka.

On 04 February, the High Commission commemorated the 75th Anniversary of independence at the Sri Lanka High Commission premises with the participation of the representatives of the Sri Lankan community in Canberra and the officials of the Sri Lanka Tri forces who are presently undergoing training in Australia. The celebration commenced with the flag hoisting ceremony followed by the singing of the national anthem in Sinhala and Tamil languages and multi-faith religious observances.  

Speaking at the occasion, Acting High Commissioner Chamari Rodrigo said Sri Lanka marked a historic milestone for the country in the midst of a myriad of challenges on the economic front. She appealed that, even though the economic situation doesn’t warrant a grand celebration, it is clearly a time to reflect on the post-independence years; rectify our failures and for the citizens to re-dedicate themselves to ensure their country’s well-being for the future.

The Acting High Commissioner also highlighted the enduring bilateral partnership between Australia and Sri Lanka which rests on the strong foundation of people-to-people connectivity and shared values. “The illumination of so many monuments together in the Sri Lankan flag colours, for the first time in Australia, signified 75 years of mutually respectful partnership with Australia which is home to a large Sri Lankan expatriate community. The Sri Lanka High Commission extends its sincere appreciation to Australia for its warm gesture”, she added.

SriLankan Airlines & the Australia – Sri Lanka Association in Canberra (ASLA) supported the illumination project by encouraging the Sri Lankan community to capture the unique moment through photography/videography. SriLankan airlines sponsored a return air ticket to Sri Lanka for the winner of the best photograph.   

The Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra stated that it considers the occasion of lighting up iconic monuments in Australia in Sri Lanka flag colours as momentous and historic. (NewsWire)

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