Appointment Details:
- Matthew Duckworth has been named Australia’s next High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, as announced by Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
- He will also be accredited to the Maldives, pending the establishment of a resident Australian High Commission in Malé.
Background & Experience:
- Duckworth is a senior career officer with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
- He most recently served as:
- Assistant Secretary, United States Trade Taskforce
- Deputy Chief Negotiator, Australia–EU Free Trade Agreement
- Previous overseas postings include Indonesia and Cambodia.
Strategic Significance:
- Penny Wong emphasized Sri Lanka’s role as a key partner in the Northeast Indian Ocean, citing:
- Strong community ties (over 160,000 Sri Lankans in Australia)
- Development partnerships
- Shared efforts on maritime security, people smuggling, and transnational crime.
(source island.lk)
Leave a Reply