With no agrément from Canada, former AF commander heads as Ambassador to Rome

Retired Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sumangala Dias, who was first named as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Canada, will now go as Ambassador to Italy.His name was cleared by the High Post Committee (HPC) of Parliament to take up the posting in Rome.

Dias’ name was approved last November to take up the top post at the Sri Lanka Mission in Ottawa but Canada delayed giving agrément to his appointment, following which he was named to head the Embassy in Rome. 

Meanwhile, P.M. Amza has been named as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia in place of Ahamed A. Jawad, who was named to the post last November. 

It is not clear why Jawad did not take up the post. 

Along with the two ambassadorial appointments, the HPC also approved the names of five ministry secretaries. 

They are Anura Dissanayake as the Secretary to the Ministry of Irrigation, Sirinimal Perera as the Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Maj. Gen. Jagath Alwis as the Secretary to the Public Security Ministry, Bhadrani Jayawardena as the Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and R. A. K. K Ranawaka as the Secretary to the Ministry of Lands and Land Development. 

Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena, Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando, Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Udaya Gammanpila, Ramesh Pathirana, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle and MPs John Seneviratne, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Rishad Bathiudeen, Sarath Fonseka, D. Siddarthan attended the committee meeting. It was chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.