The newly appointed Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Norway Godfrey Cooray presented the Letters of Credence to King Harald V on 22 June 2020 at the Royal Palace in Oslo. The Ambassador was received in Royal audience by King Harald V following the submission of Credentials.
During the Royal audience, the King had given a warm welcome to the Sri Lanka Ambassador. The Ambassador conveyed the warm greetings from President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the good health and happiness of the King and for peace, prosperity and happiness of the people of the Kingdom of Norway. Further Ambassador Cooray briefed on the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka following the pandemic Covid-19 and highlighted that the President of Sri Lanka has taken all possible means and methods to control the situation.
Ambassador Cooray pointed out to the King that the technology and the expertise knowledge related to the fisheries sector in Norway is the best in the world. As both countries are surrounded by the ocean, he emphasized the requirement of the expertise knowledge wherewith modern technology for the development of the fisheries sector in Sri Lanka. His Majesty has given an undertaking that he will also inform the Minister of Fisheries in Norway to take necessary steps to share the expertise knowledge and assist towards Sri Lanka fisheries sector.
Ambassador Cooray informed that the Norwegian Government in the past had implemented oil exploration in Sri Lanka which resulted to a certain extent in Pesale and Thalaimannar area.
While expressing the privilege to receive the Royal audience, Ambassador Godfrey Cooray further requested the King Harald V to visit Sri Lanka as proposed by the President of Sri Lanka.
Ambassador Godfrey Cooray had enrolled to the Bar as an Attorney-at-Law in the year 1979. He is a leading senior lawyer with an extensive practice of 40 years and successful criminal and civil senior Counsel.
Further, the Ambassador is a former Council Member for the governing Council of the National Institute of Social Development Ministry of Social Services and former Chairman of International Relations Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) in the year 2010.
Ambassador Cooray also held a position as the President of ‘Habitat for Humanity’ Sri Lanka and Senior Consultant to the Executive Advisory Board of National Office of Catholic Social Communication in Sri Lanka from the year 2018 to current.
