Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry met U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for discussions at the Department of State on Friday (02). The discussions focused on further elevating Sri Lanka – U.S. relations in diverse spheres, including the 75th Anniversary of diplomatic relations which will be marked in 2023.
The Foreign Minister who paid an official visit to Washington D.C. from 30 November to 02 December 2022 also held meetings with key U.S. interlocutors including political leaders from both the House of Representatives and the Senate representing both major parties and high officials of the State Department.
Senator Bill Hagerty and Foreign Minister Ali Sabry
He met with a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator Bill Hagerty, (Republican – Tennessee) and had talks with members of Congress Rep. Bill Johnson (Republican – Ohio), Co-Chair of the Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat – Illinois) who has shown an interest in Sri Lanka.
USAID Administrator Samantha Power and Foreign Minister Ali Sabry
The Minister also had a meeting with Administrator, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power and expressed his appreciation of USAID for their generous support to Sri Lanka.
He met with Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Ambassador Uzra Zeya, who was accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the Department of State Afreen Akhter.
