Minister of Foreign Affairs (Sri Lanka)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka who is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy of the Government of Sri Lanka. The post was first created in 1947 as Minister of External Affairs and Defence, in 1978 the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence separated into two ministries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. Prior to the separation of the post the Minister of External Affairs and Defence was held by the Prime Minister since 1947, with a Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and External Affairs who was an elected parliamentarian and was the de facto foreign minister.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
Ministry of Foreign Relations
AppointerThe President with advice of Prime Minister
Inaugural holderDon Stephen Senanayake
Formation24 September 1947
Websitewww.mea.gov.lk

List of Foreign Ministers

Parties

  United National Party (13)   Sri Lanka Freedom Party (9)   Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (1)


Name Portrait Party Tenure Head(s) of Government Ministerial title
Don Stephen Senanayake United National Party24 September 1947 - 22 March 1952 Don Stephen Senanayake Minister of External Affairs and Defence
Dudley Senanayake United National Party 22 March 1952 - 12 October 1953 Dudley Senanayake
John Kotelawala United National Party 12 October 1953 - 12 April 1956 John Kotelawala
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Sri Lanka Freedom Party 12 April 1956 - 26 September 1959 S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Wijeyananda Dahanayake Sri Lanka Freedom Party 26 September 1959 - 20 March 1960 Wijeyananda Dahanayake
Dudley Senanayake United National Party 21 March 1960 - 21 July 1960 Dudley Senanayake
Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sri Lanka Freedom Party 21 July 1960 - 25 March 1965 Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Dudley Senanayake United National Party 25 March 1965 - 29 May 1970 Dudley Senanayake
Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sri Lanka Freedom Party 29 May 1970 - 23 July 1977 Sirimavo Bandaranaike
J. R. Jayewardene United National Party23 July 1977 - 4 February 1978 J. R. Jayewardene
Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed United National Party 4 February 1978 - 1989 Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ranjan Wijeratne United National Party 1989 - 1991 Ranasinghe Premadasa
Harold Herath United National Party 1991 - 1993
Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed United National Party 1993 - 1994 Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Lakshman Kadirgamar Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1994 - 2001 Chandrika Kumaratunga
Tyronne Fernando United National Party 2001 - 2004
Lakshman Kadirgamar Sri Lanka Freedom Party 2004 - 2005
Anura Bandaranaike Sri Lanka Freedom Party August 2005 - 23 November 2005
Mangala Samaraweera Sri Lanka Freedom Party 23 November 2005 – 28 January 2007 Mahinda Rajapaksa
Rohitha Bogollagama Sri Lanka Freedom Party 28 January 2007 - 8 April 2010
G. L. Peiris Sri Lanka Freedom Party 23 April 2010 – 12 January 2015
Mangala Samaraweera United National Party 12 January 2015 – 22 May 2017 Maithripala Sirisena
Ravi Karunanayake United National Party 22 May 2017 - 10 August 2017
Wasantha Senanayake
(acting)
United National Party 10 August 2017 - 15 August 2017
Tilak Marapana United National Party 15 August 2017 - 22 November 2019
Dinesh Gunawardena Mahajana Eksath Peramuna 24 November 2019 - Present Gotabaya Rajapaksa Minister of Foreign Relations

See also

References

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