The newly-arrived British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Mr. John Rankin, assured President Mahinda Rajapaksa of UK’s support for the fostering of sustainable peace in the country.

Mr. John Rankin presented his letter of credence from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (14) at a formal ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat.

The High Commissioner expressed to the President his desire to build on the close historic ties between the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka.

He offered to the President the United Kingdom’s condolences in respect of those who had suffered during the recent floods in Sri Lanka. Mr Rankin said he was pleased that the UK had been able to contribute towards the emergency response.

The High Commissioner also welcomed the increased trade, investment and tourism between the UK and Sri Lanka, which are in the interests of both countries.

Mr Rankin wished the Sri Lankan team well in the Cricket World Cup, and said he hoped that England would make it at least to the semi-finals so that they might also have the opportunity to play in Sri Lanka.

Mr. John Rankin joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1988 and has held different positions in different parts of the world. Prior to his appointment as the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, he was FCO’s Director for Americas, where he was responsible for a network of over 30 British Embassies in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

He has a degree in Scots Law from the University of Glasgow and a Masters Degree in International Law from McGill University, Montreal. Prior to joining the FCO, he qualified and practiced as a solicitor in Scotland and was a lecturer in public law at the University of Aberdeen.