COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday appointed a new foreign minister, the president's office said, less than a week after the former minister resigned over corruption allegations.

The new minister, Tilak Marapana, is a former attorney general and is the third foreign minister since 2015.

The previous minister, Ravi Karunanayake, resigned last week, shortly after he appeared before a panel investigating alleged irregularities in government bond sales.

He has not been charged and denies wrongdoing.

Marapana will be in charge of the foreign ministry as well as well as the special assignment portfolio, a post he assumed in May.