The French Embassy to Sri Lanka and the Maldives is celebrating in 2023 the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and France, which took place on October 27, 1948.This anniversary was highlighted by President Emmanuel Macron and President Ranil Wickremesinghe during their meeting on the historic occasion of the first visit of a French President in Sri Lanka on July 28.
In line with the exchange between the Heads of State, a number of events will be held to celebrate the longstanding friendship between France and Sri Lanka. This program involves all domains of the French Embassy’s activities in Sri Lanka, and mostly takes place in October, November and December 2023.
A press conference was held to mark the official launch of the celebration of the 75 anniversary of France Sri Lanka diplomatic ties on October 5 at Alliance Française De Colombo with the participation of Foreign Affairs Ministry Secretary, Aruni Wijewardena and French Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Jean-François Pactet.
“The celebration of the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and France is an opportunity to highlight our longstanding friendship through arts and to bring in Sri Lanka the best of French modern culture, with a focus on visual arts, music and cinema. We are proud to present an exciting program of events in the coming weeks!” Ambassador Pactet said
As a part of this celebration, and in line with the commitment of the two countries to further develop their relations, France and Sri Lanka will hold their first Bilateral Political Consultations between senior officials from the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs in late October. Discussions will focus on strengthening cooperation in various sectors, such as regional cooperation, climate change, sustainable development and maritime safety and security.
In addition, a series of cultural events have been organised by the French Embassy in Sri Lanka to celebrate the close cultural relations between the two countries since 1948.
