On March 3, 2026, Ambassador Samantha Pathirana presented his Letters of Credence to the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, during a formal ceremony held at the historic Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. This event marked his official appointment as the second residential Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka to Romania.
The ceremony featured an impressive Guard of Honour provided by the Michael the Brave 30th Guards Brigade of the Romanian Armed Forces, followed by the handing over of the Letters of Credence. Subsequently, discussions were held with President Dan in the Lounge of the Unirii Hall at the Presidential Palace. Ambassador Pathirana was accompanied by Counsellor, Kaushalya Govinda, and Attaché, R. Ratheesparan of the Embassy.
During the meeting, Ambassador Pathirana conveyed warm greetings from President Anura Kumara Disanayaka and highlighted the longstanding diplomatic ties between the two nations, which date back to 1957. The Ambassador emphasized the substantial progress made in strengthening bilateral relations across various sectors, fostering cooperation and mutual support.
In his response, President Nicusar Dan extended his best wishes to President Disanayaka and the people of Sri Lanka. Ambassador Pathirana also briefed the President on recent discussions initiated by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister with several Romanian cabinet members, during his official visit to Romania from 1 to 2 March including the Foreign Minister, Minister of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity, and the Minister of Economy, Digitization, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism of Romania. He further elaborated on exploring ways to enhance trade, tourism, and education partnerships between Romania and Sri Lanka.
President Dan showed his appreciation for the large Sri Lankan community residing in Romania and inquired about their welfare and requested the Ambassador to reach out the institutions in Romania if he need any assistance regarding the Sri Lankan Community. The Ambassador expressed gratitude to the Romanian government for its strong support, particularly in hosting over 25,000 Sri Lankans employed in industries such as apparel, construction, hospitality, and agriculture. He also advocated for a government-to-government (G2G) framework to ensure safer and more regulated pathways for skilled labour migration between the two nations.
Both sides concluded their discussions with a shared commitment to further deepen friendly relations between Sri Lanka and Romania. The main areas identified for future collaboration included economic growth, trade expansion, foreign investment opportunities, tourism enhancement, and fostering a stronger bilateral partnership for mutual benefit.
Ambassador Pathirana’s tenure in Romania follows his dedicated career in Sri Lanka’s Foreign Service (SLFS). He previously served as the Deputy High Commissioner at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London and held the position of Director General of the South Asia and SAARC Division at Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. During his career, he has also held roles including Director General of Economic Affairs, Director of UN & Multilateral Affairs Division, and Assistant Director of West Division at the Ministry.
Further he served in Sri Lanka Mission in New Delhi, Moscow and Geneva.
His academic credentials include a Masters’ Degree in International Relations from the University of Malta) and Masters Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from the Georgian Technical University, Tibillis, Georgia.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Bucharest, Romania
05 March, 2026
