Sri Lanka’s outgoing Ambassador to the United States, Mahinda Samarasinghe, says the current government never asked him to leave his post despite being appointed by the previous administration, and instead requested that he continue serving. Speaking at his farewell event in the…
Sri Lanka’s outgoing Ambassador to the United States, Mahinda Samarasinghe, says the current government never asked him to leave his post despite being appointed by the previous administration, and instead requested that he continue serving. Speaking at his farewell event in the US, Samarasinghe said that after the National People’s Power (NPP) government came to power and formed an administration, many ambassadors appointed by the previous government were recalled before the end of their terms. However, he said he was not among them. “The government never asked me to leave. They asked me to stay and continue my work,” Samarasinghe said, adding that he had maintained a strong working relationship with the current administration throughout his tenure. He revealed that he had recently met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to obtain approval for an official announcement and expressed hope that Sri Lanka would soon receive “good news” regarding a further reduction in US tariff rates. Samarasinghe said he had remained above politics during his diplomatic service and would continue serving Sri Lanka after returning home, but would not re-enter politics or join any political party. He added that if the government sought his assistance in the future for the country’s benefit, he would not hesitate to contribute in a non-political capacity. Reflecting on the civil war period, Samarasinghe also said he had survived two alleged LTTE assassination attempts and paid tribute to Sri Lanka’s armed forces and political leaders who lost their lives during the conflict, saying their sacrifices had helped preserve the country’s freedom. (Newswire)