By: Isuru Parakrama
November 04, Colombo (LNW): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the recall of ambassadors and high commissioners from 15 countries, initiating a shift aimed at strengthening its Foreign Service with career diplomats.
This decision, formalised in a letter issued by the Ministry’s Secretary, particularly impacts officials who were appointed from outside the regular Foreign Service.
The list includes notable figures such as:
- Mohan Peiris, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and a former Chief Justice
- Rohitha Bogollagama, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and former Foreign Minister
- Kshenuka Senewiratne, High Commissioner to India and a former ambassador
- Chitranganee Wagiswara, High Commissioner to Australia and former Foreign Affairs Secretary
- Rodney Perera, Ambassador to Japan
- Sumangala Dias, former Air Force Chief serving as High Commissioner to Malaysia
- Sudarshana Pathirana, former Air Force Commander, posted as Ambassador to Nepal
- Nishantha Ulugethenna, former Navy Commander and current Ambassador to Cuba
- Ravindra Wijegunaratne, former Navy Commander serving as High Commissioner to Pakistan
- Uday Indraratne, Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates
- V. Kananathan, High Commissioner to Kenya
- Srimal Wickramasinghe, High Commissioner to Seychelles, and brother-in-law of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa
- Mohammad Shahid, Ambassador to Iran
The recalls are part of a plan, led by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, to replace these posts with officials from the Sri Lanka Foreign Service.
