High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

The colossal sums of monies that nations spend on conflicts and wars must be diverted towards development, research and technology to reduce poverty and suffering. Sri Lanka’s humanitarian initiatives have enabled the government, not just to end conflicts but to divert resources earlier spent on conflicts, now towards welfare and development, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"Public expenditure on rural centric initiatives and on farmers, on children and similar expenditures on the provision of water, sanitation and clean environment are more productive and beneficial to the welfare of the citizens. Therefore, at a ministerial conference such as this, our determination should be to appeal to the world to divert their defense expenditure to development" President said delivering the inaugural address at the Ministerial Summit of the South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN IV) on 6 April 2011 in Colombo.

President said: "Sri Lanka already has a commitment to provide universal access to water and good sanitation by the year 2020. We are confident of achieving this, as we have already achieved the Millennium Development Goals in a key area such as the lowest maternal mortality rate in South and South East Asia".

We are well on the way to achieving the MDGs in universal primary education, gender parity in primary education, and maternal and child health. Our country is on course to achieve the MDG target for declining poverty by 2015. Sanitation and related good hygiene plays a significant role in all of this, President Rajapaksa added.

Foreign exchange earnings coming from tourism increased to an unprecedented level of Rs. 56.24 billion, thus registering an increase of 49.9 % as compared to Rs. 37.51 billion recorded in the previous year, stated the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

In US dollar terms, this amounted to an earnings figure of US $ 497.4 million in 2010 as compared to US $ 326.3 million in the previous year; an increase by 52.4 %. Thus, tourism in Sri Lanka was able to regain its position in 2010 as the fourth highest in terms of foreign exchange earnings that was coming into the country.

Accordingly, the average expenditure per-day per-tourist increased from US $ 81.8 in 2009 to US $ 85.4 in 2010.

With a view to further increase the daily average expenditure of tourists who come into the country, the SLTDA has gazetted the minimum hotel room occupancy and meal rates to be charged by the hotels that are located and coming within the Colombo & Mount Lavinia Municipal Council areas.

President visits India to witness the ICC World Cup Finals

President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in India on 1 April 2011 to watch the ICC World Cup finals at Wankhede stadium at Mumbai

"I also consider it as a unique achievement for the Sri Lankan Cricket team to reach World Cup finals on three occasions. We were able to win the World Cup on one occasion due to the exceptional talent of our players,” he said.

The message further reads; By emerging as runners-up during this year’s tournament our team ably captained by Kumar Sangakkara has made an indelible mark in Sri Lanka’s cricket history. On behalf of all Sri Lankans I convey my appreciation to the team on their achievement.

As all Sri Lankan’s stood united in wishing success for the team, they would continue wishing you further success in the days ahead.

I hope to meet the team soon to extend my warm wishes on behalf of all Sri Lankans to the members of the Sri Lanka Cricket team for their whole hearted contribution towards this success.

I am honoured to be here in the company of some of our region’s literati and those committed to SAARC and I thank Madam Ajeet Cour for inviting me to speak a few words.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate Madam Ajeet Cour and FOSWAL for organising this event. It is gatherings like this that help to expand the boundaries of SAARC. Discussion, exchange of views and sharing of each other’s experiences and ideas at events of this nature have the potential to broaden and widen the frontiers of our minds and they play an important role in creating awareness in the region of our collective heritage. As Amartya Sen observes, “While we cannot live without history, we need not live within it either”. Our faculties of reasoning empower us to choose which facets of history integrate rather than separate us and the need for an inclusionary view of our identities. Poets and writers are called “the eyes and the hearts” of the world for a reason. They have the power to influence people in a positive way. Madam Ajeet Cour, you continue to inspire the poets, academics, writers, intellectuals and policy makers of our region to open their minds and their hearts to our common heritage, and to our cultural and civilisational links, helping thereby, the progress of regional cooperation and the creation of a ‘South Asian identity’ and a ‘SAARC brand’. We thank you for your remarkable efforts.