United States Ambassador-designate Eric Meyer has arrived in Colombo to take up his posting as the 29th US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, the US Embassy in Colombo said.
NewsFirst and Hiru News both reported that Meyer landed on the evening of Friday, August 22. Ada Derana and the Daily Mirror carried the arrival without specifying a date.
Priorities set out on arrival
In remarks released by the embassy, Meyer said he was honoured to represent the United States in Sri Lanka and looked forward to building on what he called the strong foundation between the two democracies.
“It is an honor to represent the United States in Sri Lanka. I look forward to building on the strong foundation between our two democracies to advance a U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership that creates new opportunities for American businesses, furthers our shared security interests, and delivers greater prosperity for both Americans and Sri Lankans,” he said.
The three priorities named in that statement — commercial openings for American firms, shared security interests and economic benefit for both countries — are the only agenda items the embassy has set out so far.
A career in South and Central Asian affairs
Meyer is a career Senior Foreign Service officer. Immediately before the Colombo posting he served as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., at the US Mission to Norway. He previously served as Senior Bureau Official for the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, the office that directs US policy across the region.
He was sworn in at the State Department in Washington on August 13, with Deputy Secretary of State Landau officiating.
All four newsrooms continue to describe Meyer as Ambassador-designate. An envoy formally assumes the title on presenting credentials to the head of state, and no date for that ceremony has been announced.
Both ends of the channel have changed hands
Sri Lanka’s own ambassadorship in Washington also turned over this month, with Mahinda Samarasinghe stepping down as envoy to the United States after citing personal reasons.
Meyer arrives with trade prominent on the bilateral agenda. Sri Lanka was placed in the lower 10% US tariff tier in July, down from a proposed rate of 44%.
