Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Samoa, H.E. Ms Yasoja Kusalini Gunasekera, has presented her Letters of Credence to the Head of State, Afioga Tuimaleali‘ifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II.
The credentials ceremony was held on Thursday, 30 April 2026, at the official residence of the Head of State at Vailele.
The presentation formally accredits Ms Gunasekera as High Commissioner Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka to Samoa. She will serve as a non-resident High Commissioner, based in Canberra, Australia.
Samoa and Sri Lanka established diplomatic relations in 2014.
During the ceremony, Ms Gunasekera reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening its friendship with Samoa through bilateral cooperation. Areas of mutual interest include tourism, climate resilience, and people-to-people ties.
The Head of State reaffirmed Samoa’s commitment to strengthening the relationship and cooperation between the two countries.
He also expressed appreciation for Sri Lanka’s participation in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which was held in Samoa in 2024.
Afioga Tuimaleali‘ifano said Ms Gunasekera’s appointment as High Commissioner to Samoa would further strengthen existing relations and create more opportunities for cooperation between Samoa and Sri Lanka.
Ms Gunasekera is currently serving as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Canberra and is also accredited to several Pacific Island countries, including Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
She began her diplomatic career in 1996 and has served in several overseas missions, including the Sri Lankan Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the High Commission in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where she served as Head of Mission.
She has also served as Consul General in Guangzhou, China. Before taking up her current role, she was Additional Secretary at Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ms Gunasekera holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from Warwick University in the United Kingdom and a Master of Arts in Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University in Australia.
Before returning to Canberra on Friday, 1 May 2026, Ms Gunasekera is expected to conduct courtesy calls on the Prime Minister, the Minister for Tourism, and officials from Samoa’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
This article is based on a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
