Sri Lanka’s 65th Independence Day was celebrated in the Kingdom yesterday with a call to its expatriates to maintain unity and work for the development of the country.
D. Siripala Gammanpila, chargé d’affaires of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh, commended the expatriate community in the Kingdom for their valuable contribution to the country’s national coffers. He said the foreign remittances from Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East had reached $ 2.5 billion (SR 9.4 billion) in 2010. “A significant portion of this sum came from the 550,000 Sri Lankans working in the Kingdom,” he noted.
Around one third of 1.5 million Sri Lankan overseas workers are living in the Kingdom.
Consul General Adambawa Uthumalebbe hoisted the country’s flag yesterday at the consulate in Jeddah, and delivered a message from Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan president.
He said the unity among communities and religious harmony were vital factors for the development of the country. “Divisions among us will strengthen various hostile forces seeking to deny us our freedom,” he said.
The president’s message said that the forces hostile to the country would be weakened, and freedom would be strengthened further.
Uthumalebbe also conveyed his best wishes to all Sri Lankans and persons of Sri Lankan origin residing in Saudi Arabia.
“Independence is enjoying the freedom of life, speech and faith while being economically free. With renewed freedom our country is striving forth in development thus creating great opportunities for investments,” he said.
He further said that the migrant community could play a pivotal role in the development of infrastructure and the economy of the country. He emphasized on the exposure of the country tourism, as Sri Lanka is known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean, with its natural beauty, culture and proud history.
Typical Sri Lankan dishes were served to guests at both the functions. They included kiribath with katta sambol, kevum and kokis.