The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, received the Letters of Credence of the Ambassador of Sri Lanka accredited to the African Union, Nirmala Paranavitana, the first Sri Lankan woman to serve as the country’s Permanent Representative to the AU.
During their meeting, the Chairperson and Ambassador Paranavitana exchanged views on strengthening AU–Sri Lanka relations through enhanced South–South cooperation, in support of Africa’s development priorities and the aspirations of the AU’s Agenda 2063.
Ambassador Paranavitana outlined Sri Lanka’s proposal to establish a comprehensive AU–Sri Lanka Partnership Framework, supported by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) identifying priority areas and providing a structured basis for practical cooperation programmes. The Chairperson welcomed the proposal and expressed interest in pursuing a MoU and identifying specific areas for cooperation through joint programmes and institutional partnerships.
Potential areas of collaboration included youth empowerment, agriculture and food security, digitalisation, electoral systems modernisation, technical and vocational education and training, healthcare, climate resilience, water resource management and the Blue Economy. The discussions also highlighted opportunities for knowledge exchange, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, investment and capacity-building.
The Chairperson welcomed Sri Lanka’s willingness to share its expertise and experience in areas including agriculture, technology, water resource management and post-conflict reconciliation. He also acknowledged existing bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and several AU member states and recognised the potential to build on these relationships to promote broader continental partnerships.
Ambassador Paranavitana highlighted Sri Lanka’s interest in advancing practical and scalable initiatives aligned with African development priorities, including agricultural research and food security cooperation between South Asian and African institutions, digital innovation, youth entrepreneurship and the strengthening of regional value chains.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to leveraging shared expertise, strengthening institutional linkages and translating common priorities into practical cooperation programmes that would deliver tangible benefits to their peoples.
The proposed partnership was expected to provide a foundation for a more structured and forward-looking relationship between Sri Lanka and the African Union, anchored in mutual respect, shared development objectives and South–South cooperation.
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the African Union, Nirmala Paranavitana, is a distinguished diplomat and scholar specialising in international law, security studies and transitional justice. A recipient of Indian and Swiss Government scholarships, she was selected as a UN Law Fellow at The Hague Academy of International Law in 2024. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Delhi and an MPhil from the Australian National University. She previously served in New York, New Delhi, Myanmar, Tokyo and Sweden.
Sri Lanka Embassy in Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
23 October 2026