Committee to supervise envoys’ work

Sri Lankan missions overseas are to be placed under supervision to ensure they achieve certain targets in the diplomatic and economic areas, a Foreign Ministry official said yesterday.

He said this decision was taken after a three-day meeting of 55 heads of Sri Lankan missions abroad and the supervision team would be headed by retired Public Servant M.D.D. Peiris.

Such a committee to supervise the work of missions abroad had been set up when Lakshman Kadirgamar was the foreign minister and this is to be reactivated.

During the unprecedented sessions, the envoys were briefed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the need to rise beyond cocktails or personal gain and work selflessly to promote the interests of Sri Lanka in different fields.

Among others who addressed them were Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundara.