Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the African Union (AU), Nirmala Paranavitana, has presented her Letters of Credence to African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, becoming the first Sri Lankan woman to serve as the country’s Permanent Representative to the continental organisation.
According to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the meeting was followed by discussions on strengthening ties between Sri Lanka and the African Union through enhanced South–South cooperation.
During the discussions, Ambassador Paranavitana proposed establishing a comprehensive AU–Sri Lanka Partnership Framework, supported by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to identify priority areas and facilitate practical cooperation programmes.
The AU Commission Chairperson welcomed the proposal, expressing interest in pursuing an MoU and exploring opportunities for joint programmes and institutional partnerships.
The discussions covered a wide range of potential areas for collaboration, including agriculture and food security, youth empowerment, digitalisation, healthcare, technical and vocational education, climate resilience, water resource management and the Blue Economy.
Both sides also explored opportunities for technology transfer, entrepreneurship, investment, knowledge exchange and capacity-building.
Ambassador Paranavitana highlighted Sri Lanka’s readiness to share its expertise in agriculture, technology, water resource management and post-conflict reconciliation. She also emphasised the potential for agricultural research partnerships, digital innovation, youth entrepreneurship and stronger regional value chains connecting South Asian and African institutions.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening institutional ties and developing practical initiatives aligned with Africa’s development priorities and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Ambassador Paranavitana is a diplomat and scholar specialising in international law, security studies and transitional justice. In 2024, she was selected as a United Nations Law Fellow at The Hague Academy of International Law.
She has previously served in diplomatic postings in New York, New Delhi, Myanmar, Tokyo and Sweden. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Delhi and an MPhil from the Australian National University.
