New envoys present credentials in virtual ceremony

The global pandemic coronavirus forced countries and institutions around the world to adopt new methods to carry out their daily affairs as the ‘ new normal’ of wearing face masks, social distancing and limitations for civilian movement are to be in place for the foreseeable future.

Many of them switched to the digital space to utilise services such as video conferencing, webinars, sharing/ editing documents online, avoiding physical presence in their work places.

This week, it became evident that the government too stepped in that direction with the first ever virtual official ceremony of new ambassadors presenting credentials to the President. It was done through video conferencing.

On Thursday, newly appointed Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, who arrived in the island last week with a consignment of medical supplies from India, presented his credentials through video conferencing from his office to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was at the Presidential Secretariat, located a few hundred metres away from the High Commission near Galle Face Green.

Two other envoys -- Iran’s and Brazil’s new ambassadors -- also presented their credentials through video conferencing.