One of Five Ambassadors Invited to Participate

• Remarks made by President Bush on Secretary of State's Swearing in-ceremony

Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the United States Devinda R. Subasinghe was among a group of five select Ambassadors in Washington DC who were invited to attend the Swearing-In-Ceremony for Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice on Friday January 28, 2005 at the Benjamin Franklin Room at the Department of State.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg in the presence of President George W. Bush.

Addressing the gathering, President Bush said, “Colin Powell leaves big shoes to fill at the State Department, but Condi Rice is the right person to fill them. As National Security Advisor, she has led during a time when events not of our choosing have forced America to the leading edge of history. Condi has an abiding belief in the power of democracy to secure justice and liberty, and the inclusion of men and women of all races and religions in the courses that free nations chart for themselves.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in her remarks said, “in all that lies ahead, the primary instrument of American diplomacy will be the Department of State, and the dedicated men and women of its foreign and civil services and our foreign service nationals. More than half a century ago, Dean Acheson and his officers stood present at the creation, in helping President Truman secure a world half free, while hoping that there would one day be a world fully free.”

Ambassador Devinda R. Subasinghe in his meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice following the Swearing-In-Ceremony, was assured of continued US support for Sri Lanka.

Embassy of Sri Lanka
Washington DC
USA

28 January 2005