The new High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Wellington, New Zealand, has been officially inaugurated.

The office was declared open yesterday (28) in conjunction with the official visit of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, to New Zealand, according to the Ministry of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister Herath stated that the establishment of the new High Commission would further strengthen the longstanding bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters also attended the event as a special guest, it said.

In accordance with the cultural traditions of both countries, the inauguration ceremony commenced with Sri Lankan religious observances alongside traditional New Zealand Māori blessings.

Addressing the gathering, Minister Herath stated that the opening of the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Zealand marks the beginning of a new chapter in diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations between the two countries.

Senior officials from New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, members of the diplomatic community based in New Zealand, and representatives of the Sri Lankan community residing there also attended the event.

The new High Commission is expected to provide more efficient consular services to over 30,000 Sri Lankans residing in New Zealand, while also promoting trade, education, and tourism between the two countries.