Dr. Saman Weerasinghe has been awarded the Order of Friendship (Orden Druzhby) by Russian President Vladimir Putin at Kremlin, Moscow. The honour, one of Russia’s highest civilian distinctions, recognises his decades of dedication to strengthening diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties between Sri Lanka and Russia. Dr. Weerasinghe is the only Asian recipient of the award in 2025, marking a proud milestone for Sri Lanka’s global diplomatic presence.

A graduate of the Moscow Medical Academy with Honours, Dr. Weerasinghe served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2015 - 2018) and currently holds the roles of General Secretary of the Sri Lanka-Russia Friendship Society and Chairman of the Centre of the Russian Geographical Society in Colombo. His leadership has fostered cultural exchange, scientific collaboration, and enduring goodwill between the two nations.