Prominent Sri Lankan diplomat Dr. Saman Weerasinghe has been conferred the Order of Friendship (Orden Druzhby) by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a ceremony held at the Kremlin in Moscow
The Order of Friendship, one of Russia’s highest civilian awards, was presented in recognition of Dr. Weerasinghe’s decades-long contribution to strengthening diplomatic, cultural, and economic relations between Sri Lanka and Russia.
Dr. Weerasinghe is the only Asian recipient of the honour in 2025, a distinction that underscores Sri Lanka’s growing prominence in international diplomacy.
A graduate of the Moscow Medical Academy with Honours, Dr. Weerasinghe served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Russia from 2015 to 2018. He currently holds key positions as General Secretary of the Sri Lanka–Russia Friendship Society and Chairman of the Centre of the Russian Geographical Society in Colombo.
Throughout his career, Dr. Weerasinghe has been instrumental in promoting cultural exchange, advancing scientific collaboration, and fostering mutual goodwill between the two nations.
