Romesh Jayasinghe, the new Foreign Secretary

(August 28, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Mr. Romesh Jayasinghe, a senior Foreign Service Officer who is currently the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in New Delhi has been appointed by the President as the new Foreign Secretary with effect from 1st October 2009. Mr. Jayasinghe will succeed Dr. Palitha Kohona, the current Foreign Secretary who has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

An Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Prasad Kariyawasam, who was also Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, has been nominated to succeed Mr. Jayasinghe as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in New Delhi.

Sri Lanka’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and currently a Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Kshenuka Senewiratne, has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

There have been several other nominations as Heads of Missions, which are as follows:

1. Mrs. C. Wagiswara, An Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and previously Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Paris, as High Commissioner designate to Canada.

2. Mr. Ahamed. A. Jawad, a Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and previously Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Norway, as Ambassador designate to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

3. Mr. Sarath Weragoda, Senior Attorney at Law as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

4. Air Chief Marshall Donald Perera, former Chief of Defence Staff, as Ambassador designate to Israel.

5. Mr. Dixon Dela Bandara, former Governor of the Northern Province as High Commissioner designate to the Maldives.

6. Mr. Bennet Cooray, former Deputy Minister as Ambassador designate to the Philippines.

7. Mr. Sarath Wijesinghe, Attorney at Law as Ambassador designate to the United Arab Emirates.
-Sri Lanka Guardian