His Excellency Jaliya Wickramasuriya presented his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the United States of America in July 2008. He had previously served as Consul General of Sri Lanka in California, and has played a critical role as Sri Lanka’s liaison with the United States government during a vital period in his country’s history.
Ambassador Wickramasuriya has been at the forefront of the diplomatic efforts to build on Sri Lanka’s strong relationships with the U.S. government, members of Congress and Sri Lanka’s Asian neighbors and trading partners, and has also been instrumental in building strong ties within the Sri Lankan community in the United States.
Jaliya Wickramasuirya was born in Matara, Sri Lanka on July 8, 1960. He began his career as a businessman and entrepreneur working in the Sri Lankan tea industry. He served as a management trainee selected by internationally renowned businessman Merrill J. Fernando, the founder of the well-known Dilmah brand, one of the world’s largest and best known tea companies. Of his 20 years of senior management work in the tea business, Ambassador Wickramasuriya spent 18 years with Dilmah before establishing his own tea company, Ceylon Royal Tea.
His international experience, negotiating skills and knowledge of the United States led to his appointment as a diplomat. Ambassador Wickramasuriya ended his commercial interests and surrendered his U.S. residency upon his appointment as a diplomat.
As ambassador, Jaliya Wickramasuriya has relied on his business and management skills to direct Sri Lanka’s embassy staff in a variety of initiatives that complement developments in Sri Lanka. He has also aided Sri Lanka’s emergence as a key Asian economic power through frequent interaction with the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and a variety of American corporations.
Many economists believe that Sri Lanka is now experiencing rapid post-conflict economic expansion. The country’s workforce is highly skilled and educated with a national literacy rate of more than 90 percent, and an aggressive program to attract foreign investment has been launched.
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is also on the rise, with tourist numbers up nearly 50 percent in 2010, perhaps helped by the New York Times which named Sri Lanka as its number one place to visit in 2010. National Geographic and the luxury living website DailyCandy.com also give Sri Lanka top marks as a travel destination.
Ambassador Wickramasuriya’s duties are focused on Sri Lanka’s redevelopment and reconciliation efforts both at home and in the U.S. He has launched a number of initiatives to benefit Sri Lanka, including an annual Private-Public Partnership Conference in cooperation with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Today, Ambassador Wickramasuriya continues to serve as Sri Lanka’s most vocal and visible advocate in the U.S.
0 COMMENTS