The Government has appointed Mr. Vijayasiri Padukkage, a career diplomat, as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Qatar, Foreign Ministry sources said.Mr. Vijayasiri will succeed Mr. S.B. Atugoda who arrived in the island last Monday after completing his three year tenure as the Ambassidor to Doha. Mr.Padukkage (50) is also the Director-General of United Nations Human Rights and Multilateral Affairs.
Earlier, he has served as Minister Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, in New York.
He is expected to leave to Doha in about a month.
Sri Lanka has been maintaining excellent relations with Qatar under President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Government. The country has been benefitted immensely over the years thanks to the fruitful relationship built with Qatar.
Recently Sri Lanka entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Qatar to address the security concerns of Sri Lankan migrant workers and to open doors to increased employment opportunities for skilled workers with added benefits and welfare facilities.
Also Sri Lanka signed an agreement with Qatar for USD 5000 million (Rs.500 billion) to construct middle class houses.
The profile of Sri Lankan expatriates in Qatar has now changed from that of unskilled workers to skilled workers and professionals and the community has grown rapidly to the current count of 130,000. Former Ambassidor Atugoda's tenure also saw the formation of an umbrella federation uniting all the community social organisations in Qatar.
All the disparate bodies now come under the Sri Lankan Coordinating Committee.
(Courtesy : Department of Information )