President Taye Atske Selassie Bids Farewell to the Outgoing Sri Lankan Ambassador

Addis Ababa, January 14, 2026 (ENA)—  President Taye Atske Selassie has bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Ethiopia, Theshantha Kumarasiri following the completion of his diplomatic tenure.

During the farewell ceremony, Ambassador Kumarasiri stated that Sri Lanka and Ethiopia have strong ties.  

He noted that modern diplomatic relations between the two countries were formally established in 1972 and have since continued to grow in the political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people spheres.

He further highlighted that cooperation between the two nations has expanded in key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and tourism.

 

 

The ambassador also mentioned that nearly 200 Sri Lankan nationals are currently working in Ethiopia across various sectors.

He emphasized that Sri Lanka views Ethiopia as a strategic gateway for strengthening relations with African countries. 

He noted that Ethiopia and Sri Lanka have many opportunities to further strengthen their relations.

In this regard, he stated that discussions are underway for Ethiopian Airlines to begin direct flights to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital.

Such a move, he explained, would create significant opportunities to deepen bilateral ties and expand trade, air cargo services, tourism, and cooperation in sectors such as energy.

Additionally, he mentioned ongoing collaboration with relevant institutions in the areas of agriculture, gemstones, and the jewelry industry.

Furthermore, he added that Sri Lanka is working jointly with Ethiopia’s gemstone and jewelry industry to establish a center of excellence for gemstone cutting and polishing in Ethiopia.

He stated that Sri Lanka is preparing to purchase around 6,000 tilapia fingerlings from Ethiopia in collaboration with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture to realize this initiative.

He emphasized that these are practical, ongoing initiatives currently being implemented to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.