Sri Lanka’s first lady Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Roshan Sithara Khan Azard presented her Letters of Credence to Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on 27 January 2025. Held at the Amiri Diwan, the office of the Amir of Qatar, the credential ceremony featured a Guard of Honour which was followed by the presentation of credentials and a courtesy call on the Amir.
Ambassador Khan Azard conveyed the warm greetings of President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, and explained her intentions to explore new areas of cooperation between Sri Lanka and Qatar and to further enhance the existing ties between the two countries.
Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, extended his wishes to the Ambassador for success in her new assignment as Sri Lanka’s envoy to the State of Qatar, and warmly recalled his visits to Sri Lanka which included a state visit in 2015 followed by a private visit. He also conveyed his best wishes for the prosperity of Sri Lanka.
Before the formal and ceremonial presentation of Credentials to the Amir of Qatar, Sri Lanka’s envoy called on Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sultan bin Saad bin Sultan Al Muraikhi on 26 January 2025 and presented the open copy of her Letter of Credence, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar. She was accompanied by Minister and Head of Chancery of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Qatar, Kashyapa Ukwatte.
Prior to being appointed as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Qatar, Ambassador Khan Azard served as the Additional Secretary for SAARC and Latin America and the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. A career Sri Lanka Foreign Service Officer, Ambassador Khan Azard joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1998 and has served in various capacities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism and at Sri Lanka Missions and Posts in London, Chennai, Doha, and Ottawa where she served as the Deputy High Commissioner and Acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Canada. She is a past pupil of Methodist College, Colombo and has two sons.
