Ambassador Saroja Sirisena presented Letters of Credence to Mr. Cornel Feruta, Actg.Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 23 August 2019, at the Vienna International Centre accrediting her as the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the IAEA.
The Permanent Representative recalled the exceptional work carried out by the IAEA under the leadership and guidance of late Yukiya Amano, Director General of the IAEA and his concrete achievements in the spheres of nuclear security, safety, safeguards and technical cooperation during his decade long tenure. She further highlighted the necessity of capacity building and technical cooperation within IAEA and among its Member States and the need of expanding such programmes in order to further raise the level of awareness on nuclear technology for peaceful use.
The Actg. Director-General commended Sri Lanka’s involvement in the IAEA and the substantial work carried out by Sri Lanka’s diplomats over the past decade including the plan to set up a power plant in the future. He further ensured legal assistance to Sri Lanka in areas where assistance is needed.
Ambassador Sirisena emphasized the significance of the peaceful use of nuclear technology in the spheres of Medicine, Agriculture and Education and elaborated on tangible economic benefits for developing countries resulting from such technologies whilst reaffirming Sri Lanka’s continuous commitment to the Organisation and active engagement with the Organisation’s future activities.
Saroja Sirisena joined Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1998 and served as Director-General Economic Affairs, Director General Public Diplomacy and the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately prior to her appointment in Vienna.
In her Diplomatic Career, she served as the Consul General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai from 2014-2018 and held positions at Sri Lanka Missions in Geneva, Brussels and Paris.
Ambassador Saroja Sirisena is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, Australia and has completed post-graduate studies at the École Nationale d’Administration in France. She is a past pupil of Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo.
The ceremony was attended by Mr. Mahesh Mahakumarage, Second Secretary, Ms. Asanka Weerasingha, Attaché of the Sri Lanka Mission and Ms Camila Polo Flórez, Chief of Protocol & External Relations Officer and Mr Nuno Luzio, External Relations Officer of the IAEA.
