British Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed Ranil Jayawardena, MP, as her trade envoy for Sri Lanka, the UK government announced today.

jayawardena, in his capacity, will support and enhance the development of Britain’s trade and investment with Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy will be visiting Sri Lanka from 15th to 17th February to meet with senior members of the government and engage with British business’s working in Sri Lanka.

Jayawardena was elected as the Member of Parliament for North East Hampshire in May 2015 and was reelected in 2017. He has a degree in government from the London School of Economics. In Parliament he is the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sri Lanka. Jayawardena’s father is of Sri Lankan origin.

Jayawardena, commenting on his new position, said, "Given the shared history and close bonds of friendship between Britain and Sri Lanka – and with my family ties to Sri Lanka – I am looking forward to serving as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy at an exciting time for both our countries.

There’s lots of scope for further trade and investment between Britain and Sri Lanka. I recently visited ‘Port City’, one among many initiatives that the Sri Lankan Government is pushing forward that demonstrate its commitment to creating the right conditions for economic growth. Port City will provide a range of opportunities for UK-based professional services to work with Sri Lankan partners to take forward our shared ambitions to develop international business. I am confident that engagement by the UK’s professional services sector will help Port City to attract international investment and build its reputation."