New Indian High Commissioner HE Santosh Jha Presents Credentials to President Wickremesinghe

In a diplomatic ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat, the newly appointed High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, His Excellency Santosh Jha, presented his credentials to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, marking the official commencement of his tenure in Sri Lanka.

His most recent assignment prior to the Sri Lankan posting was at the Embassy of India in Brussels, where he served from July 2020 until December 2023.
Jha has the experience of serving as a member of negotiating teams for Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Sri Lanka and the European Union respectively.

As the new High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, HE Santosh Jha is poised to further strengthen the bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka, fostering cooperation and collaboration in various domains.

The newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, conveyed in the guest book of President Ranil Wickremesinghe that India and Sri Lanka share deep-rooted bonds in history, geography, culture and people-to-people ties.
He highlighted the growth of ties in political, economic, and security fields over the decades, emphasizing India’s role as Sri Lanka’s close neighbour, largest trade partner and a key development partner.

Jha expressed his commitment to strengthening the special friendship between the two countries, fostering closer collaboration in trade, investment, energy, connectivity and other areas. He aligned his goals with the Vision Statement agreed upon by the leaders of both nations, expressing confidence that their cooperation will lead to shared prosperity, progress and regional stability.

The High Commissioner thanked President Wickremesinghe for the warm welcome and looked forward to constructive engagements in the future.
Minister of Health and Industries Dr. Ramesh Pathirana who is the current Acting Foreign Minister and President’s Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake were present on this occasion.