Ambassador

H.E. Ms. S. Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake

The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Türkiye, H.E. Ms. S. Hasanthi Urugodawatte Dissanayake, is a career diplomat with over 26 years of experience in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service. She has served in Sri Lanka Missions in Japan (1998 – 2001), Sweden (2003 – 2005), Italy (2005 – 2008), China (2011 – 2014) and Viet Nam (2015 – 2019).

Her last tenure abroad was as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Viet Nam from 2015 – 2019. In Colombo, she has served in political affairs, protocol, economic and UN and multilateral affairs Divisions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to her taking up duties in Ankara, she was the Additional Secretary for Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change at the Ministry.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service she worked with international and regional organizations on sustainable development, environment and disaster management as well as in the banking sector.

She has an academic background in archaeology and natural resource management and is fluent in Japanese. During her free time, she engages in interior décor and designing clothes and accessories.

She is married to Dr. Kithsiri Dissanayake, a Senior Lecturer at the Earth Resource Engineering Department of the University of Moratuwa and has one daughter, Inez.

H.E. Mr. Mohamed Rizvi Hassen - Former Ambassador from 17.08.2019 to 01.09.2022

Ambassador M.R. Hassen is a Career Diplomat with a career spanning over 20 years in Sri Lanka Foreign Service. He served in Sri Lanka Missions in Stockholm (2003-2006), Washington (2009-2011) and Kuala Lumpur (2012-2015). Ambassador is also accredited to Ukraine and Georgia as well.

Ambassador Hassen served in various capacities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka in Colombo including as the Chief of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director of Foreign Affairs of Presidential Secretariat, Director of Consular Division and Public Communication Division of the Ministry. 

He is married to Husna Zamaniya Hassen and they have a son named Tuan Raqeeb Zahid Hassen.  

H.E. Mr. Pakeer Mohideen Amza – Former Ambassador from 16.01.2016 to 28.06.2019

Ambassador P.M. Amza is a member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFS) with experience in diplomacy spanning over 25 years that includes various assignments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka’s Missions abroad.

Prior to assuming office as Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in November 2021, he served as Additional Secretary/Economic Affairs from July 2019 to October 2021.

He also served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey with concurrent accreditation to Georgia and Ukraine from January 2016 to June 2019 and Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Belgium with concurrent accreditation to Luxembourg and Head of Mission to EU from August 2012 to July 2014.

At the Foreign Ministry he also served as Assistant Director, East Asia Division from July 1994 to September 1994, Deputy Director, East Asia Division from March 1999 to August 2000, Deputy Chief of Protocol from May 2004 to January 2005, Chief of Protocol from February 2005 to July 2006 & January 2015 to January 2016 and Director General, Economic Affairs from August 2014 to January 2015.

Ambassador Amza’s diplomatic assignments abroad also included working at Sri Lanka Missions in Cairo (October 1995 - March 1999), Singapore (August 2000 - December 2003), Chennai (July 2006 - August 2009), London (August 2009 - February 2012) and Berlin (February 2012 - August 2012).

Prior to joining SLFS, he had also served as Assistant Director of Education at the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka from September 1988 to July 1994.

Ambassador Amza, holds a Master Degree in Political Science and Bachelor Degree in Business Administration.

He is married with two children.