Bernard returns after US assignment

Bernard Goonatilake, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to USA has completed his tour of duties in Washington and has left for Colombo on June 29.

It is still not clear how Sri Lanka Government is planning to make use of this veteran diplomat, who has served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to many countries, and later as the Foreign Ministry Secretary.

Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat was the brain-child of Bernard Goonatilake and when he was the Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat, six rounds of talks were held between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Government of Sri Lanka. A career diplomat, a savvy experience player in the international diplomacy is expected to play a key role in deciding country’s future international policies.

Jaliya Wickremasuriya, former Consul General of Los Angeles is succeeding Bernard Goonatilake in Washington D.C., as Sri Lanka’s new ambassador to USA. He is schedule to leave for Washington by July 7.

The Government has also appointed Vijayasiri Padukkage, a career diplomat, as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Qatar. He succeeds S.B. Atugoda, who arrived in the island last Monday after completing his three year stint as the Ambassador to Doha.

Padukkage 50 is at present the Director-General of United Nations Human Rights and Multilateral Affairs. Sudantha Ganegamaarachchi, the present Deputy High Commissioner of Britain is expected to take over as Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when he returns to Sri Lanka.

Asian Tribune