Sri Lankans mark 76th Independence Day
Sri Lankan Embassy in Muscat celebrated their country’s independence on Sunday, at its premises, in the presence of Sri Lankan expatriates in Oman.
The 76th Independence Day celebration commenced with the hoisting of the National Flag by H E A L Sabarullah Khan, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Sultanate of Oman, followed by the singing of the National Anthem.
‘A two-minute silence was observed in remembrance and honour of all patriots who sacrificed their lives for our motherland,’ the embassy stated in a release.
Thereafter, community representatives joined the lighting of traditional oil lamp, which was followed by religious sermons and blessings by Priests of four major faiths in Sri Lanka through digital media.
The Independence Day message of President Ranil Wickremesinghe was read by the Counsellor/head of Chancery of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Sinhala language and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was read by the Ambassador in Tamil language while the Independence Day message of Foreign Minister M U M Ali Sabry was read by Counsellor/employment & Welfare in English.
Addressing the gathering, H E Khan greeted the Sri Lankan community in Oman, extending his gratitude for their great support and paid tribute to His majesty the Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the government and the people of Oman for the continued support extended to Sri Lanka.
H E Khan highlighted the activities of the embassy and achievements in the bilateral relations during the past one-year period, including the labour welfare facilities extended, exhibitions and trade enhancing initiatives launched by the Embassy.
He invited all members of the Sri Lankan community living in Oman to join hands by extending their cooperation to work for the peace and prosperity of Sri Lanka. Here, he spoke about the embassy’s year-long action plan and his ambition for the promotion of Sri Lankan Tourism and economic ties with the sultanate.
A vote of thanks was offered by Counsellor, Head of Chancery Anodya Chirasrie.
The event was concluded with Sri Lankan traditional breakfast for all guests.