The Minister of Foreign Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1978 when the former Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was separated into two ministries. Prior to that the post of Minister of External Affairs and Defence was held by the Prime Minister since 1947, with a Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and External Affairs who was an elected parliamentarian and was the de-facto foreign minister.
| Minister | Term |
|---|---|
| Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed | 1978 - 1989 |
| Ranjan Wijeratne | 1989 - 1991 |
| Harold Herath | 1991 - 1993 |
| Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed | 1993 - 1994 |
| Lakshman Kadirgamar | 1994 - 2001 |
| Tyronne Fernando | 2001 - 2004 |
| Lakshman Kadirgamar | 2004 - 2005 |
| Anura Bandaranaike | 2005 - 2005 |
| Mangala Samaraweera, MP | 2005 – 2007 |
| Rohitha Bogollagama | 2007 - April 2010 |
| Prof. G. L. Peiris, MP | 23 April 2010 – present |