Foreign Secretary

Ms. Aruni Ranaraja, joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1996. During her diplomatic career spanning twenty-eight years, she has served in several capacities both at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sri Lanka Missions Abroad.

Prior to her appointment as Secretary, she was Additional Secretary & Chief of Protocol of the Ministry. She has served as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from April 2021 to April 2024.  Previously she served as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Philippines (2015 – 2019) and in recognition of her contribution in strengthening relations between Sri Lanka and the Philippines, she was awarded the Order of Sikatuna, with the rank of Grand Cross (Datu), gold distinction by the President of the Philippines on 18 June 2019.

Her other overseas assignments include: Minister, Sri Lanka Embassy in Rome, Italy (2010- 2013); Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow, Russian Federation (2007); Counsellor, Sri Lanka Embassy Bangkok, Thailand (2004-2007); and Second Secretary, Embassy of Sri Lanka to Belgium and the European Union (1999-2002).

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo, she served as Director General – South Asia and SAARC, Director General – Africa, Director General – United Nations, Multilateral Affairs, Human Rights and Conferences, Director – Consular Affairs, Director-UN, Multilateral Affairs, Human Rights & Conference Division, Director – East Asia and the Pacific, Director-Europe, CIS, Director- South Asia and SAARC.

During her diplomatic career she has gathered extensive experience in multilateral and bilateral negotiations / diplomacy on a wide range of areas from Political to Social and Economic spheres. She has functioned as the Desk Officer for BIMSTEC, ACD, Group of 15, IORA and SAARC. She was a member of the Core Team for the hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2013 in Colombo.

Ms. Ranaraja holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the State University of Ukraine and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from the same University. She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in International Affairs from the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), Colombo.

In addition to her mother tongue, she is fluent in English and Russian and understands Japanese.

She is married with one son.