The Committee on High Posts of the Parliament of Sri Lanka to examine the suitability of persons nominated/ appointed to the state services and the state corporations (High Posts Committee) has approved the appointments of fourteen career diplomats nominated by President Maithripala Sirisena as Heads of Sri Lanka Missions overseas.

With these appointments on Wednesday (27 March), the percentage of career diplomats heading Sri Lanka Missions overseas increased from 36.57% to 46%, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Sri Lanka maintains 52 Embassies/High Commissions overseas.

The fourteen senior officers, belonging to the Grade I of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFS) who are to be appointed as Heads of Mission are as follows:

Mrs. K.D. Senewiratne, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York 

Mr. Rodney M. Perera, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States of America

Mrs. Grace Asirwatham, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Belgium and the European Union 

Mr. A.S. Nakandala, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Ms. Y.K. Gunasekara, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Indonesia

Mrs. J.A.S.K. Jayasuriya, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Thailand

Mrs. Pradeepa Saram, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Bahrain

Mrs. Shobini Gunasekera, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Philippines

Mrs. Saroja Sirisena, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Austria and Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Mr. O.L. Ameerajwad, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Oman

Mr. M.J.P. Jayesinghe, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United Arab Emirates

Mr. Waruna Wilpatha, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Israel

Ms. Sashikala Premawardhane, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore

Mr. Rizvi Hassen, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Turkey