High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

Addressing a Roadshow in New Delhi to promote the Sri Lanka Expo 2012 that will be held in Colombo in March 2012, High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam invited Indian entrepreneurs to make use of the emerging status of Sri Lanka as a hub in the region to achieve win-win situations in trade for both nations. A large gathering of New Delhi based diplomats who are concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka and members of various Chambers of Commerce in India and the Association of Importers of India participated at the event.

Trade has been a catalyst since ancient times in promoting people to people contacts. Sri Lanka in looking to trading with all nations and India is particularly important since it has emerged as Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner and one of the biggest investors. Investments by Sri Lankan companies in India too are on the increase as Sri Lankan businessmen take advantage of India’s dynamic economy. World’s busiest sea lanes run closer to the southern tip of Sri Lanka and to benefit from this strategic location, the Government has decided a build a port in Hambantota, the first phase of which has been completed.

Export Development Board Chairman Janaka Ratnayake explained the business environment in Sri Lanka and the priority sectors of the Expo 2012.Explaining the facilities offered to the participants for the Expo 2012 Exhibition and the Symposium that will be held parallel to it, he requested Indian business community to make the full use of these facilities. Vice President of SAARC Chambers of Commerce Kosala Wickramanayake said that Expo 2012 is a public- private partnership and that the private sector in Sri Lanka is working very closely with the Government to hold this event successfully.  

Sri Lanka is commemorating the International Migrant’s Day on 18^th December 2011, on an elaborate scale under the theme “Dirisariya –Let’s appreciate migrant workers, the heroes of our economy”.

The main purpose of the celebrations, scheduled on this day, is to highlight among the general public the importance of the contribution made to the Sri Lankan economy by our citizens who are working abroad under difficult conditions. It is expected that the educational and awareness raising programmes arranged would help increase appreciation and respect for migrant workers.

While the celebrations are scheduled to take place Islandwide, the Colombo District event begins at 8.30 a.m. at the Presidential Secretariat. This event will be graced by His Excellency the President and includes the issuance of a First Day stamp cover as well as the issuance of Migrant Card, which combines the data of a migrant worker and a debit card and a Migration Walk with the participation of about 2,000 from the migration community and a vehicle parade with educational floats.

Lieutenant-General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Sri Lanka army, on Saturday exhorted the passing out Gentlemen Cadets (GC) at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) here to continuously endeavour to achieve excellence so as to accomplish all tasks and earn the respect and loyalty of the men and women they would be commanding.

“Remember that through excellent leadership qualities taught at the IMA you will not only be able to lead your men anywhere but also command the respect of their families and the nation,” General Jayasuriya said after reviewing an excellent passing-out parade of 615 Gentlemen Cadets and eight Foreign Gentlemen Cadets.

The nation had vested immense trust in the young officers and now it was their task to uphold the confidence shown through actions aimed at safeguarding the safety, dignity and honour of the people they were supposed to protect at all times, Gen. Jayasuriya said.

He congratulated the parents of the cadets for having sent their wards into a very noble service and the IMA staff for having imparted the best of training required by future military leaders.

Thanking the Indian government and the Army for having given him the rare opportunity to review the passing out parade of this prestigious institution, Gen. Jayasuriya said the magnanimous gesture reflected the strong bonds enjoyed by the Indian and Sri Lankan armies.

He is the first Sri Lanka Army Commander to review the parade.

The Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi, in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the National Crafts Council of Sri Lanka, organized an exhibition of a modest collection of replicas of ancient rock and wall paintings of Sri Lanka.

The exhibition was inaugurated on 2 December at the ICCR Gallery in New Delhi by Director General of ICCR, Suresh Goel in the presence of Minister of Indigenous Medicine Salinda Dissanayake, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Prasad Kariyawasam and members of the diplomatic corps.

Speaking at the event, the Director General of ICCR stated that the hosting of the exhibition in New Delhi portraying the rich heritage of Sri Lankan rock and wall paintings is a manifestation of the friendship that continues to flourish between the two countries.

High Commissioner Kariyawasam gave a brief description of Sri Lanka’s wall painting heritage dating back two thousand years which still continues. Stating that Sri Lankan classical art is an expression of the country’s long and enduring Buddhist tradition, the High Commissioner said that the Indian influence on Sri Lankan art, although significant, has not inhibited the formation of a distinctly Sri Lankan tradition in all forms of art as well as sculpture.

The replicas produced by three Sri Lankan artists, Jagath Jayasooriya, Dilan Sashika and Dhammika Bandara will be on exhibition at the ICCR Gallery at Azad Bhavan until 7 December.

Full text of High Commissioner's Speech: