(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Secretary, Foreign Affairs Aruni Wijewardane met the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations Agencies in Rome Ambassador Cindy McCain at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo on Monday 26 September, 2022.
Ambassador McCain is the U.S. Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The U.S. is the largest financial contributor to the budgets of FAO, WFP, and IFAD.
Foreign Secretary Wijewardane welcomed the support extended by the visit of Ambassador McCain to ensure food security and sustainable agriculture in Sri Lanka, including through the Rome-based Agencies FAO, WFP, and IFAD. Ambassador McCain apprised the Foreign Secretary on the recent action taken by the U.S. to address food security concerns globally, and assured of their consistent and continued assistance to Sri Lanka to supplement the Governments’ efforts in ensuring food and nutritional needs of the population.
Foreign Secretary Wijewardane and Ambassador McCain discussed the impact of climate change, in particular on countries on the tropical belt which are most vulnerable to climate change. Referring to the disproportionate impact of the current economic situation on children, they discussed the means of addressing child malnutrition, as well as concerted action towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals amidst challenges.
Ambassador McCain is the spouse of the late U.S. Senator John McCain.
Ambassador McCain was accompanied by the Ambassador of the U.S. to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, and senior officials from the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome and the U.S. Embassy in Colombo. Senior officials of the Foreign Ministry were associated with the Foreign Secretary at the meeting.
