BIDTI

The Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) was established in 1994 on the initiative of the late Hon. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. It was established for the primary purpose of training officers of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFS) and the BIDTI is therefore primarily the training institute for career Diplomats of the Ministry of External Affairs. The institute is directly under Foreign Ministry.

The BIDTI is geared and equipped to provide professional training in the acquisition of diplomatic skills with particular focus on negotiation skills, effective communication and public speaking, economic diplomacy including trade, investment and tourism promotion and extensive study and discussion on current global affairs.

The BIDTI has a teaching staff of career Ambassadors, visiting overseas scholars and professionals from the public and private sector. The training programmes are highly focused on providing practical professional skills and encouraging discussion on current global issues. The BIDTI Conduct Courses related to international relations.

The BIDTI has been established by Parliamentary Act No. 32 of 2006 and is a public institution vested in the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS). The BIDTI is administered by a Board of Management. The Chairman of the Board of Management is Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs.