Colombo: Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Penny Wong, has announced the appointment of Matthew Duckworth as the country’s next High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
Minister Wong described Sri Lanka as a key partner for Australia in the Northeast Indian Ocean, highlighting strong community links, a longstanding development partnership, growing trade and investment ties, and a shared commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean Region.
Australia and Sri Lanka collaborate closely on regional and global challenges, including transnational crime, maritime security and people smuggling.
Minister Wong also noted the strong people-to-people connections, with Australia’s Sri Lankan community of over 160,000 making a valued contribution to the nation’s multicultural society.
Duckworth is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He most recently served as Assistant Secretary of the United States Trade Taskforce and Deputy Chief Negotiator for the Australia–EU Free Trade Agreement. His previous overseas postings include Indonesia and Cambodia.
Minister Wong also thanked outgoing High Commissioner Paul Stephens for his service and contributions to advancing Australia’s interests in Sri Lanka since 2022.
