By Roger Srivasan
In the rapidly shifting landscape of global diplomacy, relevance is no longer a luxury — it is a
lifeline. Nations rise or retreat on the strength of their emissaries, and Sri Lanka—standing at a
pivotal moment in its diplomatic re-emergence—cannot afford to deploy ambassadors who merely
occupy positions rather than embody them.
It is therefore imperative that the Government and the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs take
careful heed of the qualities required of any potential ambassador, for the calibre of our envoys is
directly proportional to the credibility our nation commands on the world stage.
1. Why an Ambassador Must Stay Relevant An ambassador who fails to stay relevant quickly
becomes a ceremonial figure — a relic dressed in protocol. Relevance in diplomacy encompasses:
• Intellectual Relevance
• Cultural Relevance
• Political Relevance
• Technological Relevance
To “stay relevant” is not ostentatious. It does not imply parading one’s importance. It means
remaining effective, strategic, informed, and indispensable.
2. The Cost of Irrelevance in Diplomacy An ambassador who does not stay relevant misreads
global priorities, weakens negotiations, falls out of sync with host nation realities, becomes an
invisible presence rather than an influential voice, and ceases to carry weight in representing the
President’s agenda.
3. Why the Government Must Heed This When Selecting Envoys Sri Lanka is entering a new epoch
defined by governance, integrity, and international rebranding. Ambassadors will shape the world’s
perception of the new Sri Lanka. Therefore, the Government must give due heed to:
• Meritocracy in selection
• Mastery of communication
• Diaspora engagement skills
• Diplomatic foresight
• Non-stagnation
4. A Warning Wrapped in Diplomacy A nation that appoints ambassadors without assessing their
relevance risks sending ghosts into the living world of diplomacy — emissaries who speak, but no
one listens.
5. Conclusion: The Call to the Government Sri Lanka stands at a hinge point in history. To seize
this moment, the Government must weaponise relevance as a core criterion in ambassadorial
selection and appoint envoys who remain intellectually alive, politically attuned, globally aware, and
diplomatically relevant.
