Not hesitant to work for the country, if invited: Mahinda Samarasinghe

Colombo, July 15 (Daily Mirror) - Claiming that the government never called him back, outgoing Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States Mahinda Samarasinghe said he is not hesitant to render his service for the country, if the government invited him.

Samarasinghe made these remarks during a felicitation and blessing ceremony held at the Washington DC Buddhist Viharaya recently.

Samarasinghe said sixteen out of the seventeen ambassadors who had been appointed by the previous government were called back after the present government came to power except him adding that he was asked to continue his service.

“This government never asked me to leave. I worked well with this government. I had no issue. I contacted the President very recently to get his signature to a notification issued in a gazette by us. We hope to give a good news to Sri Lankans through the said notification as a reduction in tariff rates,” he said adding that he was able to do such things because he did not do politics after he assumed duties as the ambassador despite his political ideologies.

Samarasinghe said he totally quitted politics after he assumed duties as the ambassador and added that he served for the sake of his motherland. “I have nothing more than that. Even after I arrived in Sri Lanka, I will render my service for the country even more. I will never cease my service. We can serve our motherland without doing politics. I am not going to join any political party,” he said.