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Copyright © 2012 Embassy of Sri Lanka - Washington DC, USA.

January 2012

PICTURE ESSAYHOLIDAY RECEPTION HOSTED BY SRI LANKA EMBASSY

EMBASSY PROMOTES COOKBOOK – ‘RICE & CURRY’

SWAMY SIVANATHAKURUKKAL VISITS SRI LANKA EMBASSY

Ambassador Wickramsuriya, chats with David Toussaint, whose late father, Donald Toussaint, was U.S. Ambassador in Sri Lanka from 1979 to

1982. and Thanuja Usliyanage

Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United States, and his daughter Sarindee, Sofia Blake, who is married to Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, and daughter Zara Blake.

Sri Lankan born Hindu priest of Maryland Sivanatha Kurukkal (3rd from left) met His Excellency Mr. Jaliya Wickramasuriya (5th from left) and the diplomats when he visited the Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington DC on December 2nd.

Mr. Ashley Wills, a former U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka and Ambassador Jaliya

Wickramasuriya during a holiday reception

Guests gather for holiday remarks during a reception at the residence of Sri Lankan Ambassador Jaliya

Wickramasuriya in Washington.

U.S.- SRI LANKA TIFA TALKS 2011

Mr. Michael Delany (left), Assistant United States Trade Representative for South and Cen-tral and Mr. Tilak Collure, Secretary, Ministry of

Trade and Industry at TIFA talks

Sri Lanka delegation, Mr. Tilak Collure, His Excellency Mr. Jaliya Wikramsuriya, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador for the

United States and Mexico, and Mr. Bandula Somasiri Minister Commercial, Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington DC

AGREED UPON SCREENED IN U.S. CONGRESS

Rep. Jack Kingston, (R-Ga.), discusses post-conflict development and close U.S.-Sri Lankan strategic ties

during a event on Sri Lanka in the U.S. Congress.

Minister Dr. Rajitha Senarathna describes development projects in Sri Lanka, (right to left) Author Ru Freeman, Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya and Raymond Vickery, a South Asia expert.

Sri Lanka Named Among Six “BEST OF THE WORLD 2012”

National Geographic Traveler magazine has named Sri Lanka among its top six destinations for world travelers in 2012, lauding the island nation’s her-

itage sites, wildlife, lush landscapes and pristine beaches. Sri Lanka, Traveler writes in its November/December issue, means “resplendent isle, and the natural charms of this pear-shaped island in the Indian Ocean

At the elections that took place at the closing session of the 14th General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Develop-ment Organisation today, 2nd Dec. 2011, Sri Lanka was elected by consensus to the UNIDO Industrial Development Board for a term of 4 years. Sri Lanka is among 26 countries which were elected to this important forum. The UNIDO Industrial Develop-ment Board is a main body of the Organization which deals with policy issues in the arena of indus-trial development, with an author-ity to make recommendations on

Sri Lanka elected to the UN Industrial Development

Board

the effective imple-mentation of core aspects of its mandate.

Sri Lankan Embassy Promotes Cookbook

‘Rice & Curry’

Ambassador Jaliya Wickra-masuriya joined Washington-area guests last week to cel-ebrate the release of Rice and Curry, a new cookbook by Sri Lankan-American author Sar-ath Fernando who has worked to popularize Sri Lankan cui-sine in the United States. The cookbook, which includes 208 pages of traditional Sri Lankan recipes, from patties and cutlets

New volume is honored As “Notable” by The New York Times

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Promotes Sri Lanka’s

Reconciliation & Development during Houston visit

“Our post-conflict progress has been steady and will continue” - AmbassadorSri Lankan Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya used a three-day stop in Houston last week to highlight Sri Lanka’s continu-ing redevelopment and reconciliation work more than two years after it successfully concluded its long conflict against terrorism. Noting a recent visit to Sri Lanka by three U.S. con-gressmen who issued positive reports of post-conflict progress,

to shrimp and crab curries to fruit dish-es and puddings

Ambassador Wickramasuriya urged Sri Lankans living in Houston to share Sri Lanka’s success story with their American friends and neighbors.