Sri Lanka has historic ties with Indonesia
Sri Lanka has historic ties with Indonesia
Today, we celebrate the 49th anniversary of our emergence as an independent nation.
As we all are aware, Sri Lanka and Indonesia have had historic ties dating back to many centuries. We can proudly boast of a culture, steeped in tradition, dating back to the great Indo- Gangetic civilization. Both our countries share a rich cultural heritage derived from Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. Sri Lanka and Indonesia have both experienced colonial rule, which has added new facets and dimensions to our nations' character.
Our relationship began even before we fully gained independence from our respective colonial bondage. The father of our President, the late S.W.R.D Bandaranaike, destined to become Prime Minister later, represented Sri Lanka at the Conference of Asian Leaders, which was convened in New Delhi in 1947 by the late Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, to press for Indonesia's independence. The late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was also a member of the drafting committee which drafted the conference Resolution, which called for the immediate release of all Republican leaders and transfer of power to the Republic. Having regained her own independence in 1948, Sri Lanka steadfastly supported Indonesia's fight to maintain its independence.
Our two countries have been in the forefront in forging closer Asian and the third world links. We were both participants at the Colombo Conference of Asian Prime Ministers in 1954, which set the scene for the historic Bandung Conference of Asian and African leaders in 1955. Together, we have been in the vanguard of the emergent Non-Aligned Movement, ever since the first Non- Aligned Summit in Belgrade in 1961.
The bilateral links between our two countries in the political, economic, commercial and cultural fields from the time we established diplomatic relations in 1950, have been very close. Indonesian companies have invested in Sri Lanka and we look forward to welcoming more investors from Indonesia. Sri Lanka know-how has been made use of in the construction of low- cost housing in Indonesia. All these measures augur well for the development of even closer relations between our two countries and peoples.
The people of Sri Lanka have been following with keen interest the course of the prosperity H.E. President Soeharto has charted for Indonesia through a firm adherence to the principles of Pancasila. As a country committed to free enterprise, Sri Lanka has much to learn from the Indonesian model. As countries engaged in developing free market economies, the prospects for mutually beneficial interaction by way of investments and joint ventures look promising.
We have seen, in the past decade, a steady increase in trade between the two countries, increased number of visits at both government and private levels and expanded technical and cultural cooperation. During the visit of the Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, last year, three agreements, namely the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation, Agreement concerning Promotion and Protection of Investment, and a Memorandum of Understanding on Information Broadcasting, were signed. This will contribute a strong basis for the expansion of our economic relationship.
I look forward to the further consolidation of the relations between our two governments and peoples.