Sri Lanka establishes diplomatic relations with Botswana

(November 14, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lanka and Botswana have established formal diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level, guided by the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of April 1961. The Joint Communiqué to this effect was signed on 27th October 2008 by the Permanent Representatives of Sri Lanka and Botswana to the United Nations in New York.

The decision to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries has been taken in order to strengthen the existing bilateral friendly relations and to promote mutually beneficial co-operation on the basis of mutual respect and the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference.

Botswana, which is located in the Southern African region, is a steadily developing country. Since its independence in 1966, Botswana has enjoyed political stability and economic growth under a stable parliamentary democracy.

Currently, there are approximately 2000 Sri Lankan nationals living in Botswana, whose consular needs are looked after by the Sri Lankan High Commission in South Africa. They are employed in different fields, in the public sector and the private sector. - Sri Lanka Guardian