The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a memorial service for the late French Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Jean-François Pactet. The service will take place on Friday, May 31, at St. Mary’s Church in Bambalapitiya, starting at 10:00 am. The Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka, Brian Udaigwe, will lead the ceremony.

Ambassador Pactet passed away suddenly at his residence in Colombo on Sunday, May 26. Born in 1970, he had been serving as Ambassador since October 2022. A seasoned diplomat, Pactet's previous roles included Deputy Director of Culture and Education at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, positions at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the French Permanent Representation to NATO in Brussels, and Deputy Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.