Ambassador Chinniah passed away

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces with profound sadness the sudden death of Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Poland, Clarence Felician Chinniah passed away in Warsaw on Thursday, following a cardiac arrest. He was 58 at the time of his death.

Ambassador Chinniah joined the Foreign Service in 1985 and had a wide ranging and distinguished career having served in the Sri Lankan embassies in Beijing, Havana and Brussels. He held his first head of mission appointment as High Commissioner in the Maldives between 1998 and 2001.

Thereafter, he served as Deputy High Commissioner (with Ambassadorial rank) in New Delhi. Upon his return to the Foreign Ministry in July 2005, he was appointed as Senior Director General in charge of Administration and Consular Affairs. He was appointed as Additional Secretary in February 2006 and took up duties as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Poland in August 2007, with concurrent accreditation to Bulgaria and Romania.

The funeral arrangements will be finalized in due course.