Guinea president recalls Lankan Ambassador's business connections with his country

The Foreign Affairs Ministry is reportedly re-evaluating the performances of Sri Lanka's diplomatic missions abroad, as part of a cost cutting measure.

The ministry is to decide whether it should continue with those offices or temporarily shut them down, as the cash- strapped Government struggles to meet expenses.

Surprisingly, the Ministry is expanding its diplomatic ties with the African continent. On March 11, High Commissioner Veluppillai Kananathan presented his credentials as Sri Lankan Ambassador to Guinea--with residence in Kenya-to President Mamady Doumbouya of Guinea at the Presidential palace in Conakry. Ambassador Kananathan was the first Sri Lankan Ambassador to Guinea.

President Mamady Doumbouya recalled Ambassador Kananathan’s connections with Guinea as an entrepreneur and his past role as adviser on investments to former Guinea President Alpha Condé. He also thanked the ambassador for bringing in foreign investments for maize cultivation and the sugar industry through the Investment Promotion

Agency of Guinea (APIP). Well, this is according to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry.

"The President further said that as Ambassador to Guinea he could bring more investments to Guinea from Sri Lanka to invest in diverse fields under the most beneficial and lucrative terms and conditions presented for FDIs in Guinea, which will create a win-win situation."

One may wonder, whose interests these businessmen turned ambassadors are furthering while holding office at the expense of taxpayers.

Ambassador Kananathan was recently in the news for providing "a friend's private aircraft" to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa for a personal trip to India.