According to the External Affairs Ministry, it is paying attention to strengthening the “public diplomacy” capabilities of Missions abroad and with the support of expatriate Sri Lankan communities seeks to change the negative perceptions about Sri Lanka that had hitherto prevailed.

After decades of neglect by policy-makers, religion is once again a legitimate topic of conversation in public diplomacy, international relations and domestic affairs. Much of the current discourse has been sparked by what is viewed as widespread religious resurgence that has diminished the force of the secularization hypothesis. This new perspective on religiosity is prompting diplomats to increase their religious literacy and to explore ways to harness the religious communities’ potential for problem solving, development and collaboration.