The 72nd Anniversary of Sri Lanka's National Independence was celebrated in Nepal on 04 February 2020 at the Embassy premises.
The programme commenced with the hoisting of the national flag by Ambassador Himalee Arunatilaka followed by the national anthem, in the presence of members of Sri Lankan community and well-wishers. A two minutes' silence was observed in honour of all the national heroes and members of the armed forces who had sacrificed their lives for the motherland, followed by the lighting of the ceremonial oil lamp.
Multi religious observances were followed the reading out of the National Day messages of the President, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Relations in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
Addressing the gathering Ambassador Himalee Arunatilaka noted that Sri Lanka has come a long way in terms of political, economic and social development since independence. But most importantly she said, despite many challenges faced along the way, the country has remained a democracy which was something to be proud of. Paying tribute to the professionalism and commitment of the armed forces who defeated terrorism, that posed the biggest threat to Sri Lanka's sovereignty and territorial integrity since independence, she underlined their dedication and sacrifices, ensuring the country remained a democracy.
The Ambassador also planted a neem tree in the Embassy premises in line with the Green Concept of the government.
Traditional Sri Lankan refreshments were served to the invitees, while midday alms were offered at the Official Residence to the venerable Mahasanga who participated at the event.
On 06 February, a reception followed by dinner, was also organized at Hotel Park Village, Kathmandu to mark the occasion and the Vice President of Nepal Nanda Bahadur Pun, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Arunatilaka highlighted the vision elaborated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to safeguard the country's national security without compromising the people's democratic space. She recalled the President's National Day address where he stated that true freedom will be achieved only when social and economic inequalities are minimized. The Ambassador highlighted Sri Lanka's transformation into a fast growing economy with high human development indices that were on par with some developed countries.
She also referred to the strong bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Nepal, and the longstanding people to people engagement.
The Ambassador further highlighted the conducive business environment in Sri Lanka as a logistics hub that can be leveraged by Nepali entrepreneurs. Sri Lanka, she said, provided a niche product in IT and IT enabled services, while the innovative local talent and robust infrastructure have attracted global giants such as London Stock Exchange, HSBC, and IFS among others to establish operations in the country.
A large gathering of over 250 guests, including Ministers, Members of Parliament, senior Government officials, police and military personnel, diplomats, private sector, media and members of the Sri Lankan community attended the event.
