List of high commissioners of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom explained

Post:High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom
Insignia:Emblem of Sri Lanka.svg
Insigniasize:80
Insigniacaption:Emblem of Sri Lanka
Reports To:Minister of Foreign Affairs
Termlength:No fixed term
Incumbent:Saroja Sirisena
Incumbentsince:2 March 2020
Nominator:The President of Sri Lanka
Department:Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Seat:Sri Lankan High Commission,
13 Hyde Park Gardens, London, United Kingdom
Inaugural:Sir Claude Corea
(As Representative of the Government of Ceylon)

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom is the Sri Lankan envoy to United Kingdom. Countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations typically exchange High Commissioners, rather than Ambassadors. Though there are a few technical differences (for instance, whereas Ambassadors present their diplomatic credentials to the host country's head of state, High Commissioners are accredited to the head of government), they are in practice one and the same office. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom is concurrently accredited as the Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland. The current post of High Commissioner is occupied by Saroja Sirisena.

List of High Commissioners

High Commissioners

High CommissionerStart of TermEnd of Term
Claude Corea19481949
1949 1952
1952 1954
February 1954 December 1957
Gunasena de Soyza, CMG, OBE December 1957 October 1958
P. R. GunasekeraOctober 1958 February 1960
Gunasena de Soyza, CMG, OBE February 1960 October 1961
Sir Senerat Gunewardene, KBE October 1961 June 1963
Professor Gunapala Malalasekera, OBE June 1963 February 1967
Sir Lalitha Rajapakse, QC February 1967 October 1969
M. V. P. Peiris, OBE October 1969 December 1970
December 1970 1975 - Last High Commissioner from the Dominion of Ceylon (1970-72), and the first High Commissioner from Sri Lanka (1972-75).
1975 1977
1977 January 1981
January 1981 May 1984
May 1984 March 1990
General Sepala Attygalle, LVO 1990 August 1993
August 1993 February 1995
February 1995 January 1999
January 1999 July 2000
July 2000 April 2002
Faiz Mustapha, PC April 2002 February 2005
February 2005 May 2008
May 2008 31 December 2010
Dr Chris Nonis[1] [2] 1 September 2011 20 October 2014
Sugeeshwara Gunaratna
(Acting)[3]
21 October 2014 14 November 2016
Amari Mandika Wijewardane[4] 15 November 2016 1 April 2018
Sugeeshwara Gunaratna (Acting)[5] 1 April 201820 February 2019
Manisha Gunasekara[6] 20 February 201931 January 2020
02 March 2020
19 November 2023

Deputy High Commissioners

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Dr. Chris Nonis assumes office as new Sri Lankan envoy to UK. 21 April 2018. Daily Financial Times. ft.lk. 5 September 2011.
  2. News: Dr. Chris Nonis Resigns As SL High Commissioner In UK. 21 April 2018. Asian Mirror. asianmirror.lk. 30 September 2014.
  3. News: Swire holds talks with Lanka's acting envoy to UK. 21 April 2018. Colombo Gazette. colombogazette.com. 8 January 2016.
  4. News: Sri Lankan HC to UK presents credentials to Queen Elizabeth II. 21 April 2018. news.lk. Government of Sri Lanka. 17 November 2016.
  5. News: SL's excellence in preserving mangroves to be felicitated at CHOGM. 2018-05-01. en.
  6. News: Queen Elizabeth receives new SL envoy to UK. 2019-02-22. en.