Ambassador Fernando presents credentials to President Sarkozy

Sri Lankan Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Lionel Fernando presented his credentials to French President Nicholas Sarkozy at Elysee Palace recently. During the brief discussion he had with President Sarkozy, Ambassador Fernando described the progress of Sri Lanka’s battle against terrorism.

After congratulating the new Ambassador, President Sarkozy expressed his wish to visit Sri Lanka and the Ambassador thanked the French President for accepting the invitation extended by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Earlier, Ambassador Fernando was elected as Vice President of Asia-Pacific Group at UNESCO on January 21, 2009.

Fernando, who presented his letter of accreditation as Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Sri Lanka to UNESCO to Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on December 31, 2008, has been elected to the position of Asia-Pacific Vice President within a month.

Japanese Permanent Representative, Ambassador Tadamichi Yamamoto and Permanent Representative of Thailand, Ambassador Orachart Suebsith were elected as President and Secretary of the Asia-Pacific Group respectively. Sri Lanka is a member of the UNESCO Executive Board.