Three Ambassadors recalled

Three Sri Lankan Ambassadors have been recalled due to incompetence, Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

The minister was replying to a question by a journalist at a press conference at Sirikotha yesterday. However, the minister declined to disclose their names.

“We want to take best out of our diplomatic missions. We cannot allow incompetent persons to hold those positions and enjoy their time at the expense of public money,” he said.

He said the Government aims to promote “commercial diplomacy” and attract more Foreign Direct Investment to the country. “Together with the President and Prime Minister, I will formulate a proper system to ensure optimal service from our diplomatic missions,” he said.

He said all Ambassadors in Sri Lanka including honorary consuls have been invited for a meeting chaired by the President and Prime Minister on September 4 to discuss how to carry forward the Government’s agenda.

Observing that Sri Lanka has 63 diplomatic offices abroad, the minister said those would be upgraded where necessary and some would be closed down.

Responding to a question by a journalist on gazetting the Development Lotteries Board and National Lotteries Board under the Foreign Ministry, Karunanayake questioned back why similar concerns were not raised when the Higher Education Ministry was amalgamated with the Highway, Transport Ministry was amalgamated with the aviation and when the President took over the TRC. He said he eliminated fraud and corruption in the two institutions and made them profit making institutions.