Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath was accorded a traditional Māori “Pōwhiri” welcome at New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Tuesday, becoming the first Sri Lankan Foreign Minister to receive the honour during an official visit the country.

Herath described the ceremony as a significant moment at the start of his official visit to the country.

During the visit, the Foreign Minister also met with Gerry Brownlee, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the New Zealand Parliament, for discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas including trade, education and parliamentary affairs.

Brownlee also recalled his official visit to Sri Lanka in July 2024 as the head of a cross-party parliamentary delegation.

Herath is currently in New Zealand for a series of official engagements, including the planned opening of Sri Lanka’s new High Commission in Wellington, which is expected to provide diplomatic and consular services to more than 30,000 Sri Lankans living in the country. (Newswire)