Weliamuna and ex-air force chief appointed as SL envoys

The High Posts Committee has approved the appointments of thirteen persons including President’s Counsel and prominent human rights activist-lawyer J. C. Weliamuna and former Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Kapila Jayampathy (Rtd.), nominated by President Maithripala Sirisena, as Heads of Sri Lanka Missions overseas.

Accordingly, Mr. Weliamuna has been appointed as the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Australia while Air Chief Marshal (Rtd) Jayampathy as the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Malaysia.

The Foreign Ministry said that among the thirteen new Heads of Mission appointed, there are nine career diplomats of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFS): 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, President’s Counsel and prominent human rights activist-lawyer as High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Australia, former Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Kapila Jayampathy (Rtd.) as High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Malaysia, Nimal Karunaratne, former Additional Surveyor General as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Maldives, and Kithsiri Athulathmudali, international business consultant and businessman as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Qatar.

The ministry also said that Sri Lanka maintains 52 High Commissions/Embassies overseas. 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 2019. Of the 27 Heads of Mission appointed this year, 23 have been from the Sri Lanka Foreign Service.