H.E. Dr. Lakshitha Ratnayake

Ambassador of Sri Lanka in the State of Kuwait

Dr. Lakshitha Ratnayake is a career diplomat in Sri Lanka’s Foreign Service since the year 1998. Previously, he held the position of Ambassador to Cuba, with concurrent accreditation to the nine countries in the Caribbean and Central American regions. His diplomatic career has been marked by significant international experience worldwide, having served in Sri Lankan missions in Berlin, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, Havana and Kuwait. Additionally, he has participated in various specialized diplomatic training programs conducted by Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Malta.

Dr. Lakshitha earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from California University, USA, and holds a B.A. (Hons) and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Colombo and the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, respectively. His research interests were further inspired by his completion of the Dynamic Economic Diplomacy Course at Harvard University in 2017. He is the author of the Book ‘Foreign Policy and Commercial Diplomacy in the Economic Development of Sri Lanka 1948-2020’.

In addition to his diplomatic work, he is an academic with substantial contributions to political science, Political Economy, diplomacy, tourism, state affairs, economic development, and international relations. He has served as a visiting or guest lecturer at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, the University of Mumbai, India, Changsha Normal University, China, and Korea University, Seoul, South Korea. In 2007, he was honored with the Peace Award in Mumbai, India, in recognition of his service to the development of human rights and social harmony.