The ambassador of Russia to Sri Lanka is the official representative of the president and the government of the Russian Federation to the president and the government of Sri Lanka.
The ambassador and his staff work at large in the Russian Embassy in Colombo. The current Russian ambassador to Sri Lanka is , incumbent since 8 September 2022. The ambassador to Sri Lanka has dual accreditation as the non-resident ambassador to the Maldives since 1966. There is a consulate-general in Malé, Maldives.
History of diplomatic relations
Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and what was then Ceylon were formally established in December 1956, with the appointment of the first ambassador, , appointed on 19 February 1957. Representatives were thereafter exchanged between the two nations, and after the renaming to Sri Lanka in 1972. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Sri Lanka recognised the Russian Federation as its successor state, and exchange of ambassadors have continued.
Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Republic of Maldives were established on 14 September 1966, with the incumbent Soviet ambassador to Sri Lanka, , concurrently accredited to the Maldives. The Maldives recognised the Russian Federation on 31 December 1991, and there was an honorary consul based in the Maldives from at least 2000. Diplomatic relations continued to develop, and in February 2019 the Maldives decided in principle to establish an embassy in Russia, with Russia agreeing in July 2021 to establish a consulate-general in Malé. The first consul-general was appointed in December 2024.
List of representatives (1957–present) Soviet Union to Ceylon (1957–1972) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesAmbassador19 February 1957 8 September 1960Credentials presented on 4 May 1957 Ambassador8 September 196027 March 1965Credentials presented on 1 November 1960 Ambassador27 March 196526 July 1968Credentials presented on 8 June 1965 Ambassador26 July 196830 August 1970Credentials presented on 9 September 1968 Rafiq NishonovAmbassador30 August 197022 May 1972 Credentials presented on 12 October 1970
Soviet Union to Sri Lanka (1972–1991) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesRafiq NishonovAmbassador22 May 1972 8 June 1978 Ambassador5 September 197818 December 1981Credentials presented on 9 October 1978 Ambassador18 December 198119 November 1985Ambassador19 November 198521 July 1988Ambassador21 July 198817 August 1991 Ambassador17 August 1991 25 December 1991
Russian Federation to Sri Lanka (1991–present) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesAmbassador25 December 1991 25 May 1993Ambassador25 May 199322 January 1998Ambassador22 January 199821 March 2001Ambassador21 March 200121 February 2002Ambassador19 June 200224 June 2004Alexey ShebarshinAmbassador19 January 200527 August 2008Ambassador27 August 200824 August 2012Ambassador24 August 201221 August 2017Ambassador21 August 20178 September 2022 Credentials presented on 23 October 2017Ambassador8 September 2022 Credentials presented on 11 November 2022
References