New York mission marks 71st Anniversary of Independence
The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York celebrated Sri Lanka’s 71st Anniversary of Independence with a diplomatic reception held on February 4 at the mission premises.
The proceedings began with the National Anthem being sung in both Sinhala and Tamil by two members of the expatriate community Dr. Esiri Karunaratne and Mr. Godfrey Tisseverasinghe.
Delivering the welcome address, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative Dr. Rohan Perera said that the country's post- independence journey had not been without its challenges. “We have faced challenges of conflict, challenges of building, restoring and maintaining peace, and challenges of meeting national development goals, among others, he noted.
Noting that Sri Lanka had been an active member of the United Nations since admission 61 years ago, he said that Sri Lanka would continue to closely engage with the UN and its systems and procedures in diverse areas including peacekeeping and peace building.
The evening featured a variety of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine and sweetmeats including a tea station which enabled guests to sample a variety of Sri Lankan teas. Additionally, all guests were presented with gift tea packs.
One of the highlights of the evening was a performance by the highly acclaimed Schiller Institute New York City Chorus who performed two Sri Lankan classical favorites, Lanka Lanka and Dakuna Neganahira as a gift to Sri Lanka on the occasion of its 71st Anniversary of Independence.