EU appoints new envoy to Lanka

The EU has appointed David Daly as the new Head of the EU Delegation to Sri Lanka to replace the current Head of Delegation Bernard Savage.

Daly is currently the Head of the EU Delegation to Australia and New Zealand in Canberra. He was previously Head of the Croatia Unit in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement.

Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy as well as the Vice President of the Commission, today announced the appointment of new Heads of EU Delegations to Azerbaijan, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Paraguay, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan.

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of these excellent candidates to head up six EU Delegations abroad. Their talent and expertise are significant assets for the EU’s external action and I look forward to working with them in their new roles,” Ashton said while announcing the new appointments.

To complete appointments, an accreditation request for a new Head of Delegation will be sent to the host country. The selected candidate may take up duty only once accreditation of the host country has been granted and a number of other administrative formalities completed.

Savage was head of the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka during a critical period, especially in 2009 when the final stages of the war was underway.

During his four year tenure, Sri Lanka also lost the GSP Plus trade concessions and drew severe criticism from the EU on the human rights front. (Colombo Gazette)