King Willem-Alexander warmly welcomed Ambassador Ranaraja and wished her well in her assignment. The King referred to the need to further elevate the existing cooperation and friendly ties between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka which are based on the longstanding historical and cultural ties dating back to several centuries and which serves as a firm foundation for the existing friendship and cooperation. While sharing similar sentiments, Ambassador Ranaraja conveyed to him greetings and best wishes of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the people Sri Lanka, which were warmly reciprocated.

Ambassador Ranaraja briefed the King on the current political and economic developments in Sri Lanka following the Presidential and the Parliamentary elections and the implementation of the national policy frame work "Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor". While observing that Sri Lanka and the Netherlands reach the important milestone of 70 years of Diplomatic Relations this year, she conveyed Sri Lanka’s strong commitment to further elevate the multifaceted relationship with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on all areas of the engagement. These include, she said, Trade and Investment, Agriculture, Water Management, Human Resources Development, Maritime, BPO/KPO outsourcing, Tourism, and Aviation spheres together with enduring people- to- people contacts. The King particularly pointed to the vast potential in the Tourism sector in the Netherlands and invited Sri Lanka to maximize on this opportunity.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs P.H.A.M. Huijts and Grand Master of the Royal Household C. Breedveld were present at the ceremonies.

Ambassador Aruni Ranaraja is a career diplomat with 25 years of service, having served as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of the Philippines and her other diplomatic assignments include Kingdom of the Belgium and the European Union, The Royal Kingdom of Thailand, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Italy. Prior to her present assignment she served as the Director General for South Asia and SAARC in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo. Ambassador Ranaraja holds Masters Degree in International Relations from the State University of Ukraine, Kiev and is a past pupil of Mahamaya Girls College, Kandy.

Embassy of Sri Lanka