The Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Vienna celebrated the 77th Anniversary of Independence of Sri Lanka on 04 February 2025 with the participation of the Sri Lankan community in Austria and in countries to which the Embassy is concurrently accredited, namely, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
The ceremony commenced with the hoisting of the National Flag by Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka M.R.K. Lenagala followed by singing of the national anthem, observing of two minutes silence to pay tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives in achieving independence, and the lighting of the traditional oil lamp. Religious dignitaries representing all four major faiths in Sri Lanka invoked their blessings on the government and the people of Sri Lanka.
Independence Day messages of the President, Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism were read in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Lenagala highlighted the policies and priorities of the new government recalling the President’s inaugural address to the Parliament in November 2024. The Ambassador also shared with the audience information about the “Clean Sri Lanka” National Programme and invited everyone to contribute towards this endeavour. The Ambassador also invited the members of the community to remain engaged with the country, to promote Sri Lanka in all possible ways, particularly trade, investment, tourism and people to people contact.
Members of Nartakah Dancing Academy in Vienna performed traditional dances during the event.
The ceremony concluded with the singing of the national anthem in Tamil. The Mission hosted a lunch for all attendees where Sri Lankan traditional cuisine was served.
Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Vienna
07 February 2025
