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Three Heads of Mission hold dual citizenship
View(s):The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has found that there are three Heads of Mission/Post in Sri Lanka’s diplomatic corps holding dual citizenship.
They are Ms Y K Gunasekera (British/Sri Lankan) who is High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Bangladesh; Tilak Ranaviraja (USA/Sri Lankan) who is Ambassador for Sri Lanka to France; and Swarna Gunaratne (Canadian/Sri Lankan) who is Consul General in Los Angeles. Of these, only Ms Gunasekera is a member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service.
Meanwhile, Buddhi Athauda is tipped to be the country’s new Ambassador to France. He reportedly holds US and Sri Lankan citizenship.
The dual citizens in diplomatic positions at other levels are Ms Sonali Samarasighe (USA/Sri Lankan) who is Minister Counsellor to the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, New York; Mr Manoj Warnapala (British/Sri Lankan) who is Counsellor at the Sri Lankan High Commission in London; Mr S N Cooray (British/Lankan) who is Third Secretary at the Sri Lankan High Commission in London; and Mr W S Balasooriya (Australian/Sri Lankan) who is Second Secretary at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Jordan.
The Ministry recently asked all Sri Lankan diplomats here and abroad to notify it if any of them are dual citizens after the Sunday Times made an enquiry and it was found the Overseas Administration Division (OAD) did not have the required information.