The 72nd Anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence was celebrated at the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Frankfurt am Main on 04 February, 2020 with the participation of the Sri Lankan expatriate community living in the six southern Federal States in Germany and the Honorary Consuls of Sri Lanka. President of the Frankfurt City Parliament Stefan Siegler graced the occasion as the Guest of honour.
The official ceremony commenced with the hoisting of the National Flag by Consul General of Sri Lanka Madurika Joseph Weninger amidst beating of ‘maghul bera’ followed by the singing of the National Anthem. A two minute silence was observed in honour of all patriots who had sacrificed their lives to preserve and protect the freedom, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka followed by the lighting of the ceremonial oil lamp.
Multi-Religious observances were conducted by the religious dignitaries representing the Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Islamic religious offering blessings for our nation and its people. National Day messages of the President, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Relations were read in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
In her welcome address, Consul General said the occasion was a celebration of the Sri Lankan identity and the event of the day represented the rich ethno-religious diversity that all Sri Lankans share. She highlighted that ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour‘ the national policy framework of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, focuses on upholding the aspirations of all citizens of Sri Lanka to live freely and securely and to build a prosperous nation where the future generations can live with pride and dignity.
Consul General Madurika Weninger underscored that the high point of work of the Consulate over the past year has been the success the mission has achieved in building a sizeable network of Sri Lankan expatriates across the six Federal States, through a series of events the Consulate had during the past year and said that she looks forward to expanding that network in the coming months of the year 2020.
The Consul General recalled the strong bonds of friendship based on historical ties between Sri Lanka and Germany and that the people to people contacts between our two countries are so strong that Germany is the second highest source of tourism to Sri Lanka from Europe.
The Guest of Honour Stefan Siegler in his address acknowledged the contribution made by the Sri Lankan community in Germany and said that ‘We are proud to celebrate your anniversary and we are proud of the unique and wonderful relationship the two countries share’.
The Sri Lankan expatriate community expressed their support to working closely with Sri Lanka, as the country steps into a new and prosperous era.
On 21 February 2020 the Consul General hosted a Diplomatic Reception in a Hall adjoining the Consulate premises with the participation of over 200 invitees, including
members of the Consular Corps., senior Government representatives, media, business leaders, travel agents and professionals both from Germany and Sri Lanka.
At the occasion, different aspects of Sri Lanka was promoted through a number of diverse activities such as cultural performances, display of tourist attractions which included ‘So Sri Lanka’ brochures and videos, exhibiting key sectors of the Sri Lanka economy and a brief quiz show on Sri Lanka enthralling the guests.
The guests in attendance were treated to an array of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine which was enjoyed by all.
All guests were presented with gift bags containing cinnamon packs, boxes of premium Ceylon Tea from Sri Lanka Tea Board and Sri Lankan Tea companies as well as special gift items and booklets promoting ‘So Sri Lanka’ campaign from SLTPB.
Consulate General of Sri Lanka
Frankfurt
21 February 2020
