Sri Lanka Embassy marks 76th Independence Day
KUWAIT: The Embassy of Sri Lanka held a reception on Tuesday on the occasion of the country’s 76th Independence Day. In his speech, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Kuwait Kandeepan Balasubramaniam praised the bilateral relationship between his country and Kuwait. “Sri Lanka and the State of Kuwait have shared long-standing relations since 1971. The footprints of pearl divers of Kuwait can be traced back to prehistoric days in Sri Lanka. Kuwait is home to over 130,000 Sri Lankan expatriates and the presence and contribution of our people has over the past years become a driving force of our multifaceted ties with this great nation,” he said.
Ambassador Bala affirmed the large presence of Sri Lankans in Kuwait constitutes a strong link between the two nations, noting that in the recent past, they have been successful in diversifying the deployment of migrant workers from the traditional sectors to many fields of professional and skilled employment in Kuwait.
“I thank the corporate sector and business entities for their trust placed in and recognition of Sri Lanka’s able, educated and trainable workforce. On the bilateral front, I am pleased to note two-way trade has posted some respectable figures over the years,” he said. Regarding tourism, the ambassador revealed the number of tourist arrivals doubled last year, while migrant worker deployment has increased and diversified. Most importantly, the remittances from Kuwait continue to grow.
“The Kuwait Fund remains an important source that supports several important infrastructure projects that contribute to the socioeconomic development of our society,” he pointed out, affirming that Sri Lanka is committed to international cooperation and is actively involved in bilateral and multilateral engagements to address global issues like climate change, economic development, peace and security and upholding all the time its shared responsibility as a nation. Bala also congratulated Kuwaitis, as February marks the National and Liberation Days of Kuwait.
“I am happy to note that Sri Lanka assumed the leadership of the Indian Ocean Rim Association a few months ago. We believe our independent, yet multi-aligned foreign policy has helped us navigate these difficult challenges and obtain the support of the larger international community. Eighteen months later, the progress we have made is inconceivable. Sri Lanka’s inflation, which was 70 percent in September 2022, has come down to less than 5 percent, and if we continue these difficult yet prudent economic policy reforms, we honestly believe Sri Lanka is within touching distance of achieving its true potential,” Bala pointed out.