The Embassy of Sri Lanka in the United States, in collaboration with the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW), hosted an evening reception on 31 May at the Embassy premises in Washington, DC, promoting Sri Lanka as a key tourist destination among AAFSW members and other guests including senior officials from the US State Department, White House and USAID. Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Washington, DC Mahinda Samarasinghe, in his speech, recalled that relations with the United States go back further than the 76 years of formal diplomatic ties established after Sri Lanka’s independence. He recalled the work of American missionaries in the North of the country in the 1800s, the service rendered by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott who helped to revive Buddhism in the late 19th Century and the first Governor of the post-independence Central Bank of Ceylon John Exter.
He remarked that the United States was helpful in enabling the IMF Program to aid in recovery of the Sri Lankan economy after the severe economic challenges in 2022. The Ambassador also pointed out that the economic recovery was acknowledged as a miracle by many. The Embassy showcased the main tourist attractions of the country through a vivid photographic exhibition of colourful photographs depicting the ancient cultural heritage, natural beauty with a special emphasis on wildlife and the people of Sri Lanka, received by courtesy of the “America-Sri Lanka Photographic Art Society Los Angeles” and .