Colombo, Aug 15 (IANS): Sri Lanka's Minister of Development Assignments Tilak Marapana was on Tuesday sworn in as the country's new Foreign Minister in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena, officials said.

Marapana has replaced former Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake, who resigned from office last week over corruption allegations, Sri Lanka's Adaderana news portal reported.

Marapana was appointed Development Assignments Minister during the first national unity government Cabinet reshuffle on May 22. He was previously the Law, Order and Prison Reforms Minister but resigned from his portfolio in 2015.

He is a former Attorney General and has also served as Defence Minister in 2001 as well as Minister of Highways, Transport and Civil Aviation.

Marapana as the Attorney General led the Sri Lanka Delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) in Geneva on successive sessions from 1992 to 1994. He successfully overcame the passing of a resolution against Sri Lanka on human rights issues.