Sri Lanka Embassy celebrates 73rd Independence Day
06 Feb 2021 - 8:37
Sri Lanka s Ambassador-designate M. Mafaz Mohideen hoisting the national flag.
The Peninsula
Doha: Embassy of Sri Lanka in Doha marked the 73rd Independence Day of Sri Lanka on Thursday symbolically at the Chancery premises.
The National Day events commenced with the hoisting of national flag and the singing of national anthem of Sri Lanka followed by the observance of two minutes silence in remembrance and honour of all patriots who sacrificed their lives to preserve and protect the freedom, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the motherland.
Thereafter, multi-religious observances were conducted by the respected religious dignitaries representing the Buddhist, Hindu, Islam and Catholic faiths to bestow the blessings to the people of the country.
Lasanda Kurukulasuriya
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s whirlwind visit last week has left in its trail many unanswered questions.
It’s clear that for the US, this trip was all about signing up allies in its all-but-declared war against China, under the rubric of what it calls a ‘free and open Indo Pacific.’
The messages coming across from the two governments revealed a certain disconnect. Concluding his visit Pompeo tweeted that his meetings with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunewardena “reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s pivotal role as an Indo Pacific partner.” But there is nothing endorsing this assertion from the government. President Rajapaksa tweeted that he appreciated Pompeo’s stance on “the need to strengthen the bilateral relationship and support for defence cooperation” and valued Pompeo’s views “on assistance for investment and our development needs.”