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by - Niluka Kadurugamuwa, Assistant Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs Minister Tyronne Fernando with US President George Bush (pic on left)and UN Secy. Gen. Kofi Annan

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a country is the portal through which that particular country maintains relations with other states of the world. In this context, it assumes immense importance. In the contemporary context where the world has become a global village and where international relations play a major role, it could be discerned that this importance is outstanding and tangible.

During the last half-century or so Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka has been carrying out the colossal task of projecting the good image of independent Sri Lanka in the international scene.

In 2003 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has firmly resolved to project a new image that would no doubt mark the clarion call of a new era in Sri Lanka's international relations and especially economic relations. This call has already brought us up to a 5% economic growth.

The first steps of the quest for this new image have already been taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the guidance of Tyronne Fernando, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. A special feature of this quest is to make the services that have been rendered so far by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself and Sri Lanka diplomatic missions abroad more qualitative and constructive.

Due to the ongoing peace process, Sri Lanka has recently become the focal point of the international community's attention. In fact this attention is firmly based on our highly positive attitude and subsequently leads to more and more, new international interactions involving Sri Lanka.

A monthly staff meeting is convened at the Ministry under the chairmanship of the Minister to make decisions that would enable the free and smooth movement of the Ministry and the Sri Lanka Missions overseas. At this meeting the officials at the decision making level air their opinions, suggestions and new proposals to uplift the quality of the work. The prime objective of this meeting is to re-evaluate what had been done in the past and to make the correct decisions ensuring a trouble free movement of work.

Minister Fernando is easily accessible to all officers and decisions are swift.

It is important to note that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated a new programme to be in constant touch with its Missions abroad twenty four hours a day and 365 days of the year. Officers are on duty day and night on a roster basis even on holidays. Thus, any communication directed to the Ministry from any of the Sri Lanka Missions abroad at any hour of the day is attended to immediately and prompt action is taken. This 24-hour service has definitely enhanced the quality of the service.

It is more than evident that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to incur a huge expense to maintain its missions abroad. Among these expenses, rent of the Mission premises amounts to the highest. In a bid to save the costs, the Ministry has initiated a programme to purchase the lands and buildings of these Missions, making Sri Lanka obtain the ownership of these properties while the large sums of money spent on rent is saved. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects to carry on this far-sighted scheme in the future as well. Minister Assisting Foreign Affairs Lal Dharmapriya Gamage is directing this scheme.

The Ministry is determined to provide an optimum service to the Sri Lankans living abroad through its Diplomatic Missions by means of welfare activities.

Currently some safe houses have been set up by the Sri Lanka Missions in certain Middle East countries for the Sri Lankan housemaids who have fled their respective employment places due to various hardships they had to undergo. The arduous tasks of the officials of those Missions should be commended given, the fact that they operate within the constraints of limited resources and staff.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had received many complaints against locally recruited staff, mostly Sri Lankans or persons of Sri Lankan origin, who are employed in some of Sri Lanka Missions abroad, to the effect that they had become institutions and a law unto themselves. Under the instructions of the Minister of Foreign Affairs the ministry has fixed the maximum period a locally recruited employee can now serve in a Mission continuously is 08 years. They are initially recruited for only two years and the appointment can be renewed every two years.

The contribution made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the economy of Sri Lanka is substantial and invaluable. Setting up of the Cabinet Sub Committee on Overseas Business Promotion (CSOBP) under the guidance of Prime Minister and the chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is evident. The other members of this committee are the Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, the Minister of Tourism, Minister of Plantation Industries, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Minister of Employment and Labour and the Minister of Economic Reforms, Science and Technology.

The CSOBP co-ordinates, monitors and provides guidelines to Sri Lanka's Missions overseas to ensure their optimum effective deployment and utilisation for the following objectives; namely, securing of foreign direct investment and encourage joint ventures, promotion of trade and encouragement of tourism.

Under the guidelines of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry has initiated to set up 'economic councils' in 16 countries, such as Germany, Japan, Italy, Korea, UK, South Africa, etc. in order to achieve the above said objectives. Subsequently the Ministry will expand this programme to other states with which Sri Lanka has diplomatic ties.

Business councils will also operate under the aegis of the Ambassador. As mandated by the Cabinet in March 2003, Minister Fernando has taken the initiative to seek the co-operation of other Foreign Ministers in strengthening the future role of the United Nations. He has written to many Foreign Ministers and will pursue the task during the United Nations General Assembly sessions in New York, this September. He has stressed that the UN is the only salvation of all small states like us.

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General replying to a letter from Foreign Minister Fernando said, "Thank you for your letter of 10 April, 2003 in which you expressed concern over the volatile situation in Iraq and over the deep divisions that have emerged within the international community.

I fully share your view that we must focus on the future and consider ways to strengthen the United Nations. I remain convinced of the essential and central role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. There is simply no substitute for the unique legitimacy provided by this institution. The International Community must now work together to ensure that the United functions in an effective manner, in particular, to resolve disputes through peaceful means."

Minister Fernando has also kept in touch with US President George W. Bush whose father is a friend of 22 years.

As far as the welfare of the general public is concerned, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does render its services not only to the Sri Lankans living abroad but also to those who live within Sri Lanka and are in real need. When the destructive floods unleashed havoc on several districts of the country in last May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came forward to tap foreign assistance. The appeal made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the International community asking for urgent flood relief for the victims was answered even exceeding the expectations. About Rs. 350 million was collected.

Subsequent to the immediate relief assistance, the Ministry launched a programme named 'Vides Mithugama', by which the houses damaged by the floods in five districts were to be re-built with the assistance of Sri Lankans living abroad.

Accordingly an appeal was made by the Minister to all Sri Lankans living abroad to channel their assistance through Sri Lanka Missions overseas for this programme. It gained a huge success and currently the damaged houses are being re-built in flood affected areas. These houses are to be re-built as clusters of 25-30 houses, and after completion of construction work they will be re-named as 'Vides Mithugama'. The total collected is about Rs. 20 million. This project is being directed by the Hon. Minister Assisting Foreign Affairs, Lal Dharamapriya Gamage.

Year 2003 saw some very successful and constructive foreign visits by the Minister. These visits no doubt projected the positive image of Sri Lanka within the context of on going peace process.

Among these visits made by the Minister, the visits to UK, France, Egypt, UAE, Ireland, Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Iran, Lebanon, and Bahrain were of substantial significance. The most important fact common to all these visits was that, only a minimum number of officials accompanied the Minister.

The visits to Austria, Cyprus, Croatia and Lebanon by Minister Fernando marked the first ever official visit made by a Sri Lankan foreign Minister to those countries.

Sri Lanka continues to be a vibrant member of UNO, SAARC, the Commonwealth, Non-Aligned Movement, BIMST-EC, (of which the Foreign Minister is Chairman) and IOR-ARC (of which, the Foreign Minister will assume the Chairmanship in October). In addition, we have recently been admitted to the ACD (Asian Cooperation Dialogue) a grouping of Asian countries initiated by Thailand. Sri Lanka will be considered next month for Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN.

The principal objective of all these efforts is to project Sri Lanka's good image in the current international scene and attract economic benefits for our people while rendering a qualitative service to them. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is dedicated to this objective.

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