Embassy of Sri Lanka in Russia

Diplomats & Officials

Mr. Lal Kumara Gamage

Minister

Assumed duties on 31^st July 2008.

Responsible for administrative sector of the Embassy, fanctioning as a head of mission during the Ambassador’s leave.

Prior to this appointment he has severed for the Government in various capacities as Secretary to the Ministry of Advance Technology and National enterprises Development, senior adviser to the Ministry of Investment Promotion and senior adviser on Economic Affairs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , further he has served as Board Member of SME Bank and Board of Investment.

He was born in Galle and studied at Mahinda College, Galle and later entered to the Odessa Civil Engineering Institute in USSR for the higher education and obtained Degree in Masters of Science in 1980.

His family consists of four members: wife (Mrs Dayasri Gamage), daughter & son

Tel.: +7 495 688 16 20 Ext. 25

Mr. M.D.A. Prasantha Payoe

Group Captain

Assumed duties in December 2010.

Responsible for military relationship and guide the Defence Section of the Embassy.

Group Capt M.D.A. Prasantha Payoe joined the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) in 1985 as an Officer Cadet in the general duties pilots’ branch and was commissioned as a pilot officer in year 1988. He has been an active operational pilot since then flying in both combat and VVIP/VIP roles. He has Commanded No 07 utility, No 9 Attack and No 4 VVIP Helicopter squadrons. He has been the Commanding Officer of SLAF Unit Katukurunda and the Base Commander of SLAF Base Vavunia. Group Capt AP Payoe was the Chief Instructor in the Air Wing of the Defence Services Command and Staff Collage (DSCSC) Batalanda before being appointed as the Counsellor Defence in the Embassy of the Democratic socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Moscow Russia

Tel.: +7 495 688 16 20 Ext. 20

Mrs. Premala Srikantha

Minister Counselor

Assumed duties in August 2005.

Responsible for tea promotion and head the Tea Board at the Embassy.

She started her career at the Dairy Development Foundation/Milk Industries of Lanka Co. Ltd and then joined the Investment Monitoring Board, a World Bank sponsored project under the Ministry of Plantation Industries. She later joined the Sri Lanka Tea Board and served in various capacities for over 19 years and held the position of Deputy Tea Commissioner (Exports), heading the Exports Section prior to her appointment in Moscow. During this period she also represented the Sri Lanka Tea Board as part of Sri Lankan delegations at International Forums on Tea.

Mrs. Srikantha has a Degree in Agriculture, from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Tea Tasting and Quality Control from Kothari Agriculture Management Centre in India as a Colombo Plan Scholar. She has Postgraduate Training in Management from the Postgraduate Institute of Management, an affiliated Institute of the Sri Jayawardenapura University, Sri Lanka. She also successfully completed a course in Diplomacy and International Relations at the Bandaranaike International Training Institute in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

She is married to Mr. Vetharanya Seyone Srikantha, a Senior Management Consultant.

Tel.: +7 495 688 13 63

Ms. Shashika Somaratne

Second Secretary

Assumed duties on 18^th January 2010.

Responsible for the diplomatic relations with the CIS countries.

Prior to her transfer to the Embassy she served as Assistant Director (United Nations & Multilateral Affairs) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka. She has been working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2007.

Ms. Somaratne was born in Colombo and received her secondary education from Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo. She graduated from the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo in 2003. She was also enrolled as an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in 2003 after passing out from the Sri Lanka Law College in 2002.

Tel.: +7 495 688 16 20 Ext. 21

Mrs. E.T.M.C.S.Abeyrathna

Third Secretary

Assumed duties since December 2010.

Responsible for trade and investment cooperation and head the Trade Department of the Embassy.

She studied at Central College, Badulla, Sri Lanka and obtained a Degree of Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura and Degree of Master of Arts (Economics) from the University of Keleniya. She started her career as programme Assistant (Special Project) in the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka and served for three years and then joined the Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as an Assistant Director of Commerce.

Born in 1977 Mrs E.T.M.C.S.Abeyrathna is married to Mr.I.P.Dunusinghe and they are blessed with one son.

Tel.: +7 495 688 16 20 Ext. 13

Mrs. Ruwini Gunasena

Attache

Assumed duties on 01st Desember 2008.

Responsible for Consular Section of the Embassy.

She is an old girl of the Girl’s High School in Kandy and worked in the Western Province Provincial Council prior to her appointment in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2008.

She completed Diploma in International Relations conducted by Bandaranayake Centre for International Studies.

Tel.: +7 495 688 16 20 Ext. 17

Mrs. Shalika Abeysinghe

Accounts Officer

Assumed duties on 09th April 2008.

Responsible for Accountant Department of the Embassy

Was born on 13th October, 1978. Left Tangalle Balika Vidyalaya School. Graduated of the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Sri Jayavardenepura. Completed Intermediate Level of Institute of Charted Accountant of Sri Lanka and also Member of Institute of AAT.

Tel. +7 495 688 16 20 Ext.19