Nine career diplomats of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service are among the 13 new Heads of Mission approved by Parliament’s High Posts Committee, recently.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement issued on Saturday said, “With these appointments, the percentage of career diplomats who will head Sri Lanka Missions overseas will increase to 54% from 37% at the commencement of this year.”
Of the 27 Heads of Mission appointed this year, 23 have been from the Sri Lanka Foreign Service. Sri Lanka maintains 52 High Commissions/Embassies overseas.
The career diplomats appointed as new heads of mission are: A.S. Khan, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Nigeria, U.L. Mohammed Jauhar, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Kuwait, Dr. A.S.U. Mendis, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Korea, Mrs. S. Shanika Dissanayake, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Jordan, W.G.S. Prasanna, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Vietnam, Mrs. Himalee Arunatilaka, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Nepal, Lakshitha Ratnayaka, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Cuba, P.R.S. Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Ethiopia and Mrs. D.P.C.W. Karunaratne, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Lebanon.
The High Posts Committee has also approved the following professionals as Heads of Mission: J. C. Weliamuna, PC and prominent human rights activist-lawyer as High Commissioner to Australia, former Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Kapila Jayampathy (Rtd.) as High Commissioner to Malaysia, Nimal Karunaratne, former Additional Surveyor General as Ambassador to the Maldives, and Kithsiri Athulathmudali, international business consultant and businessman as Ambassador to Qatar.