On February 14, 2019 the Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in the Russian Federation held a diplomatic reception to celebrate the 71st Anniversary of Independence of Sri Lanka.
The reception was attended by 100 guests, among whom were Ambassadors of the USA, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, the Vatican, Lebanon, Vietnam, Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Uruguay, Grenada, Brunei, DPRK, Nepal as well as Deputy Heads of Missions, and other representatives of India, Japan, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Nigeria, Egypt, El Salvador, Indonesia and Tanzania.
The Chief Guest of the reception was His Excellency Zamir Kabulov, Special Envoy of the President of the Russian Federation for Afghanistan and the Director of the Second Department of Asia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federal Service of Military and Technical Cooperation as well as representatives of enterprises like JSC Rosoboronexport, leading Russian universities and the Russian Association of International Cooperation were also present at the reception.
The Ambassador quoted the Independence Day Message by the President of Sri Lanka H. E. Maithripala Sirisena, which said that after freeing itself from the colonial shackles there was a danger of ‘entrusting the future of the country to the minds, enslaved by imperialism’.
Quoting the messages by the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana, the Ambassador referred to the true meaning of independence and paid tribute to ‘the fallen heroes, who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity’. This sacrifice must be remembered by all, especially this year, when the 10th anniversary of defeating terrorism is celebrated, he said.
H.E. the Ambassador noted that Russia, and formerly the Soviet Union, had never criticized Sri Lanka, or intruded into its domestic affairs. Russia has supported Sri Lanka in the diplomatic arena, and this support has been valued and appreciated in Sri Lanka, especially in the difficult years, when it waged a war on terrorism to safeguard its territorial unity and integrity.
In his speech, H. E. Zamir Kabulov, Chief Guest of the reception, congratulated the people of Sri Lanka on the 71st Anniversary of Independence and highlighted the strong and friendly bond existing between Sri Lanka and Russia for many years.
He said that Sri Lanka had become an influential member of international organizations, including the United Nations and its specialized institutions. As H. E. Zamir Kabulov mentioned, the bilateral relations between the two countries ‘have always been based on the principle of equality and trust and characterized by the absence of any disagreements and the atmosphere of mutual respect’.
He also underscored the similarity of approaches both Russia and Sri Lanka implement towards the key issues on the modern global agenda as a result of the bilateral meeting of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena that occurred in March of 2017.
The official part of the reception was concluded with a colorful and informative video which guided the guests of the event through the history of Sri Lanka and gave them an insight to the cultural heritage and nature of the country.
Afterwards, the guests were invited to enjoy the buffet with a mix of European and Sri Lankan cuisines.
The event took place at the Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel in Moscow.
