This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.Find sources: "Esala Weerakoon" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) This biographical article is written like a résumé. Please help improve it by revising it to be neutral and encyclopedic. (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Esala Ruwan Weerakoon
14th SAARC Secretary General
In office
1 March 2020 – 3 March 2023
Preceded byAmjad Hussain B. Sial
Succeeded byMd. Golam Sarwar
Personal details
NationalitySri Lankan

Esala Ruwan Weerakoon is a Sri Lankan diplomat who is the current SAARC Secretary General, in office since March 2020.[1] He served as permanent secretary to the Ministry of Tourism Development and permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India and ambassador to Norway.[2][3]

Early life

Born to a civil servant Bradman Weerakoon and Damayanthi Gunasekara, he was educated at Royal College, Colombo. He studied economics at the University of Kelaniya and undertook post-graduate studies at London School of Economics.[4]

Career

Joining the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1988, he served in several foreign postings in London, Canberra, Kuala Lumpur and Paris. He served as Charge d'affairs at Sri Lankan Embassies in Washington DC and in Tokyo. During his tenure of service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has served in different capacities including as the Director General of Economic Affairs Division and the Director General of East Asia & Pacific Division. He has also held office as Additional Secretary (External Relations) at the Ministry of Economic Development and as Additional Secretary (Special Projects) at the Ministry of Housing & Samurdhi. He has served as Ambassador to Norway, High Commissioner to Seychelles and was appointed as High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India in November 2015.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Esala Ruwan Weerakoon Of Sri Lanka Assumed Charge Of Office As The Secretary General". New Spotlight Magazine.
  2. ^ "Esala Weerakoon: FM Secretary". www.dailymirror.lk.
  3. ^ Ariff, Yusuf. "Prasad Kariyawasam appointed as new Foreign Secretary". Adaderana.
  4. ^ "High Commissioner Esala Weerakoon presents Credentials to Indian President". November 16, 2015.
  5. ^ "Esala Weerakoon to be new Foreign Secretary | Daily FT". www.ft.lk.
Categories