Today Sri Lanka has only friends in the world, President Maithripala Sirisena said today. There observations were made when seven Ambassadors and a High Commissioner presented credentials to President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s House today.

Those who presented credentials were

01 Ambassador of Chile Andres Barbe

02 Cyprus High Commissioner Dementrious Theophylactou

03  Ambassador of Czech Republic Milan Hovorka

04 Danish Ambassador Peter Taksoe-Jensen

05 Guatemala Ambassador Georges de La Rochew du Renzet Plihal

06  Republic of d’Ivery Coast Ambassador Sainy Tiemele

07 Cambodian Ambassador Pichkun Panha

08 Iranian Ambassador Mohammed Zaeri Amirani.

The President briefed the envoys about the middle-path foreign policy of Sri Lanka and said that the country extends a hand of friendship to all the countries in the world. “Today Sri Lanka has only friends in the world,” he said.

President Sirisena, referring to close bilateral relations with Sri Lanka and the countries represented by the new envoys expressed confidence that they would strive to further strengthen bilateral friendship and cooperation in many areas including trade, investment and tourism.

The President also recalled the close cooperation between Sri Lanka and those countries at the international forums and thanked them for the support extended to Sri Lanka. He said Sri Lanka too would extend every possible assistance to those countries.

While the new Ambassador of Iran is based in Colombo, others will function as non-resident Ambassadors/High Commissioner with residence in New Delhi.