The Higashiyama zoo in Nagoya organized a special Sri Lanka Festival to mark the 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic ties between Japan and Sri Lanka on Saturday, 6th October in Nagoya, Japan. A large gathering of invitees graced the occasion with Ambassador Admiral WasanthaKarannagoda in special attendance as the Chief Guest.
Japanese govt mints Rs.1,000 Commemorative Silver Coin
The Tokyo Bureau of Japan Mint of the government of Japan minted a 1,000 Rupee Silver Coin to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Sri Lanka. The so-called, the First-Strike of the issuance of 1,000 Rupee Commemorative Silver Coin Ceremony was held at the Japan Mint of Tokyo Bureau on October 4.
Sri Lanka donated two young female Indian elephants to the Prague zoo, where they arrived on Saturday, flown to the Czech Republic by a Sri Lankan military plane, Prague zoo director Miroslav Bobek said.
The elephants, eight-year-old Janita and seven-year-old Tamara, are from Pinnawala.
In return, the Prague zoo will send two comodo dragons, two Przewalski horses and two young hippopotamuses to the Dehiwela Zoologial Gardens.
"The elephant acquisition is Sri Lanka's gift to the Czech Republic rather than routine exchange of animals between zoos," Bobek said.
The Tokyo Bureau of Japan Mint of The Government of Japan printed a 1,000 Rupee Silver Coin to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Sri Lanka. The so-called, the First-Strike of the issuance of 1,000 Rupee Commemorative Silver Coin, Ceremony was held at the Japan Mint of Tokyo Bureau on 4th of October, 2012. The Japan Mint, the Government entity which issues coins, has received an order to make Commemorative Silver Coins by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to be issued to mark the said 60th year Anniversary. This high profile Ceremony was attended by Senior Ministers, Vice Ministers, Members of Parliament, Diplomatic Corps, Senior Bureaucrats & Technocrats of Ministries of Foreign Affairs & Finance, select Financial Institutions and Media, among others.
A group of 40 representatives from the Austrian Gardeners’ Association, which comprises 40,000 members throughout Austria, visited the Sri Lanka Mission in Vienna, accompanied by travel operators and airline representatives, at the invitation of its staff . The members of the Association received a briefing on the country, its people, environment and culture prior to their visit to Sri Lanka in late October 2012. The staff of the Sri Lanka Mission hosted them to a buffet of traditional Sri Lankan food, followed by the screening of a short film on Sri Lanka and a presentation in German on travel and tourism.
Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha has said, "those who downplay the significance of Sri Lanka's post-conflict achievements and constantly keep shifting goal posts, show disrespect not only to Sri Lanka and its international partners whose steadfast commitment to this task has made these achievements possible, but also to those who have at last emerged from the suffering caused by 30 years of terrorist conflict".
CHAMIKARA WEERASIGHE
External Affairs Ministry has called on the Sri Lankan High Commission in Bangladesh to submit a full report on violence triggered on Buddhist temples by some sectarian mobs in Bangladesh.
External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunathilaka Amunugama yesterday said he has called for an urgent report on the incidents involving attacks on Buddhist temples in Bangladesh.
