Senior Buddhist clergy have praised former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States Mahinda Samarasinghe for his diplomatic contributions, as he steps down after nearly five years in the role.
The Mahanayake Theras of Sri Lanka's two principal Buddhist chapters have commended Mahinda Samarasinghe's tenure as ambassador to the United States. The religious leaders conveyed their appreciation during a meeting with Samarasinghe, who visited them to receive their blessings following his departure from the diplomatic post.
According to the Malwathu Mahanayake Thera, Samarasinghe had made meaningful contributions to strengthening bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the United States. The Thera specifically noted efforts to reduce tariffs on Sri Lankan exports and highlighted this as a significant achievement. However, the religious leader also expressed broader concerns about the foreign service, suggesting that some officials were not adequately serving national interests.
Speaking to media after the meeting, Samarasinghe explained that he had voluntarily decided to retire from his ambassadorial role after approximately five years, citing personal reasons. He stated that he had not faced pressure from the government to resign. During his tenure, he said his priorities included deepening Sri Lanka-US relations, securing American support for the country's International Monetary Fund agreements, securing military equipment including a ship and helicopter, and negotiating tariff reductions capped at 10 percent for Sri Lankan exports.
Samarasinghe, who previously represented Parliament for 27 years, indicated he does not plan to return to active politics. While he declined to comment on current political developments, he expressed openness to providing advisory support to the government on international matters if requested.
