Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria: Sri Lanka – Peace and Prosperity, Democracy and Development

H.E. Mr. Somasundaram Skandakumar,
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Australia

Wednesday 25 May, 2016: 6pm for 6.20pm – 7.30pm at Dyason House, 124 Jolimont Road, East Melbourne

In an historic election in January 2015, the people of Sri Lanka cast their votes for democracy, reconciliation and development, and for the first time in the country’s history, the two main political parties, opposed to each other since independence, have come together to win the peace once and for all.

Significantly, the government has also embarked on the process of creating a new, truly democratic constitution that will reflect the needs and aspirations of all Sri Lankans. Economic growth beckons too. Sri Lanka’s unique geo-economic position provides the potential to become a hub for access to the emerging world, and free trade agreements both in place and under negotiation, will give a much-needed boost to trade and investment.

Sri Lanka and Australia have had close ties for generations, and AIIA is honoured to welcome His Excellency Mr. Somasundaram Skandakumar, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Australia. Join us to discuss the political and economic developments driving peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka, and to explore what further opportunities lie ahead for the Australia-Sri Lanka relationship.

His Excellency Mr. Somasundaram Skandakumar was appointed High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Australia in August 2015, and is concurrently accredited to Fiji, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands. This followed a successful professional career with George Steuart & Co Ltd, Sri Lanka’s oldest diversified trading conglomerate, culminating in the group’s chairmanship from 2000-2008. A keen cricketer, Mr. Skandakumar also served as Honorary Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), and has been a radio and TV commentator for the sport. His philanthropic interests include chairing a trust that provides a midday meal to 43,000 children in over 370 schools in the north and east of the country, and the co-sponsorship of a day-care school in Bandarawela that supports impoverished children with uniforms and meals.