NEW ELHI, Feb 4: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa, on the occasion of Sri Lanka’s 73rd Independence Day.
Modi in his congratulatory note said India shared with Sri Lanka deep-rooted links of generations based on similar linguistic, religious and cultural practices. He underlined the cooperation over the past one year between the two countries, including the joint fight against the pandemic of COVID-19 and expressed a desire that in the coming years, the close relations between the two nations would be further cemented and contribute to the growth of people and shared prosperity.
In a tweet message, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar congratulated the Foreign Minister and said, “Best wishes to FM @DCRGunawardena and the Government & people of Sri Lanka as they celebrate their Independence Day.”
On the occasion of the nation’s 73rd anniversary, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa paid respects to all the leaders of, the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher, and other sections of the population who have made sacrifices to obtain Independence. Rajapaksa claimed in a formal statement that he is a Sinhala Buddhist leader and under Buddhist teachings governs the country. Every individual in this country, regardless of their ethnic or religious identity, has the right to enjoy freedom as equals under the legal framework of the nation, within the Buddhist philosophical tradition of peaceful coexistence, provides due respect to all religions and ethnicities.
The Sri Lankan Prime Minister also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all the Sri Lankans for their contribution towards the success of the motherland. He spoke of Covid-19 being the, greatest global threat today and how an unfaltering Sri Lankan spirit will unite and stand firm in defeating the pandemic.
Meanwhile, India has provided a virtual platform to Sri Lankan Armed forces to watch the on-going three days Aero India show in Bengaluru, as a part of its unwavering commitment to contribute positively to the capacity building of the Armed Forces. Political and military dignitaries will take part in the interactive event, and participants will be able to experience state-of-the-art equipment on display.
(Venkatesh Iyer)