Foreign Minister calls on diplomats to uplift Sri Lanka's image overseas

Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana has called on Sri Lankan diplomats to uplift Sri Lanka’s image overseas through the execution of public diplomacy to good effect.

Minister Marapana made these remarks on January 11 at the certificate awarding ceremony of the long Public Diplomacy and Media Relations training programme, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI).

Addressing the gathering, Minister Marapana stressed the importance of portraying Sri Lanka's image overseas as a civilized nation of kind people with an abundance of talent.

"That message has to be given loud and clear" the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha said that Foreign Affairs has a pivotal role to play in public diplomacy both at home and abroad.

Senior officials of the Foreign Ministry and its affiliated institutions, officials of the Sri Lanka Press Institute and the Sri Lanka College of Journalism and resource persons of the training programme attended the ceremony.