NEWS - SRI LANKA: Embassy of Sri Lanka News Embassy of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Washington D.C October 2017 ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MAITHRIPALA SIRISENA AT THE 72ND SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY It gives me great pleasure to be those excessive powers from the Presidency and entrust able to commence my address to the those powers to the Parliament. 72nd Session of the General Assem- Once I was elected to the Presidency, I have taken bly while congratulating the newly steps, while holding office and while enjoying the right to appointed President and Secretary- exercise those powers, to, in fact, shed those powers and General of the Organisation. In fact, transfer them to the Parliament. I have thus set an exam- it gives me great pleasure to address ple both to national politics in my country and to interna- this august assembly for the third tional politics. time as the Head of State of Sri Lanka. As countries that promote, protect and nurture democ- The theme of this 72nd Session of the General Assem- racy, it is very important that leaders who are elected to bly is ‘Focusing on people: striving for peace and a decent office in democracies take steps to strengthen and protect life for all on a sustainable planet’. democracy, exercise power with great responsibility, and Today, when we take into consideration the prevailing use one’s authority to build a righteous society . conditions in the world, this theme is extremely timely. However, when one observes recent history in the past I was elected President in January 2015. Before being few decades, one witnesses situations where the reluctance elected, there were a number of promises and pledges of leaders to leave office has led to the breakdown of peace that I made to the beloved people of my country. What within those countries, even resulting in the breakdown I particularly mentioned at the time was that, since the of peace and the creation of division, disunity and discord Executive Presidency in Sri Lanka had been vested with between countries in the international arena as well. We more power than in any leader in any other democratic have the benefit of several such examples from history. system in the world, once I am elected, I would remove More SPEAKER KARU JAYASURIYA AND MULTIPARTY DELEGATION VISIT WASHINGTON D.C. Speaker of the Parliament of election to the Senate at the be- Sri Lanka Karu Jayasuriya led a ginning of this year. Senator Van multiparty parliamentary delega- Hollen is a longtime friend of Sri tion to the U.S. capital from Sep- Lanka. The delegation also met tember 25-29. the present co-chairs of the Sri The delegation included Lanka Caucus, Representatives Minister of Transport and Civil Robert Aderholt and Dina Titus; Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva, Chairman of the House Foreign Minister of Women and Child Affairs Subcommittee on Asia Affairs Chandrani Bandara, State and the Pacific Rep. Ted Yoho; Minister of Irrigation & Water and Ranking Member of the sub- Resources Management Palitha Range Bandara, Members committee Rep. Brad Sherman. of Parliament Vijitha Herath, Kumara Welgama and M.A. Following up on the congressional visit to Sri Lanka Sumanthiran, and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament by the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) of the U.S. Neil Iddawala. House of Representatives in February, the delegation met During the visit, Speaker Jayasuriya and the delegation with its Chairman Rep. Peter Roskam, Ranking Member met with the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Rep. David Price, and HDP members Rep. Gerald Con- Paul Ryan at the U.S. Capitol. They also had fruitful discus- nolly and Rep. Gwen Moore. During the previous visit sions with several members of congress from both the re- of Speaker Jayasuriya to Washington D.C. a year ago the publican and democratic parties, including Senator Chris Sri Lanka Parliament and the HDP signed a collaboration Van Hollen, who was the former democratic co-chair of agreement to strengthen partnership between the two leg- the House Congressional Caucus on Sri Lanka until his islatures. Continue to page 2 1 NEWS - SRI LANKA: Embassy of Sri Lanka The delegation briefed the vancing political and economic reforms, taking concrete members of congress on devel- measures to advance human rights, good governance and opments in Sri Lanka, particu- reconciliation. They acknowledged the importance of en- larly in relation to constitutional hancing and expanding the U.S. – Sri Lanka partnership reforms. The Parliament of Sri in diverse spheres, including at the legislative level, and as- Lanka is marking 70 years of par- sured the support of the U.S. Congress towards this end. liamentary democracy this year. The visit to Washington D.C. took place as part of the They emphasized on the value of USAID-sponsored programme – Strengthening Demo- strengthening cooperation be- cratic Governance and Accountability Project in Sri Lanka tween the Sri Lanka Parliament (SDGAP). SDGAP is a three-year programme with the and the U.S. Congress to under- Sri Lankan Parliament to strengthen public accountabil- pin the expanding bilateral part- ity systems; improve planning, communication, policy re- nership. The Speaker invited the members of congress to form, and implementation; and increase the participation visit Sri Lanka and see first hand the developments on the of women in politics. The visit to the U.S. Congress allowed ground. the parliamentary delegation to experience firsthand the The members of congress commended the progress workings of the U.S. system. More made by the Sri Lankan government since 2015 in ad- Remarks by Foreign Secretary U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Prasad Kariyawasam At the Admiral Scott Swift Speaks at Official Reception hosted by Galle Dialogue the Commander of the Navy Good morn- on the occasion of the Galle ing distinguished guests, Dialogue 2017 ladies and gentlemen, it This is the 8th successive year in is my distinct pleasure to which the Galle Dialogue Maritime be here with you today. I Conference is being held in Sri Lan- would like to thank our ka, attracting to our Island Nation, hosts, the Sri Lankan Navy, and in particular the Com- personnel from Navies both near mander of the Navy, Admiral Sinniah, for their hospital- and far, and academics and experts ity. The Galle Dialogue is one of the critically important in maritime affairs. venues to discuss key issues among naval and maritime I thank and congratulate Vice Admiral Travis leaders. It is an integral part of the ongoing discourse Sinniah and his extraordinary team in the Sri Lanka that is taking place across the region and globe in fora Navy, for organizing this year’s Conference, and for con- like the Western Pacific Naval Symposium, the Shangri- tinuing this wonderful tradition that has come to stay. La Dialogue, and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium. For many, this has now become an annual event to look The fact that the Galle Dialogue had to be moved to this forward to. larger venue last year is just one indication of its growing I am personally drawn to this Conference just by importance not just in the region but across the globe. its title for two reasons. “Galle” is my hometown. But not I am honored to be among such an august group of just only that. Galle is a city that has played an important maritime leaders. We have representatives here today role in Sri Lanka’s maritime interactions, in turn influ- from six continents and Oceania, indeed all corners of encing the very history of our nation. the globe. More than anything, I think this is a fitting For instance, representation of how much the seas connect us. I look Our first contact with the United States probably took forward to learning from the diversity of ideas and the place when an American Merchant Ship called at the experience present in this room. Galle Harbour somewhere around the same time that As just mentioned, our nations are linked by the sea. the new American Republic adopted its Constitution. For millennia, adventurous men and women have har- nessed the winds and ridden the currents to transport Galle is said to be the port from which King Solomon merchandise, people, and ideas across the great distanc- reportedly received ivory and peacocks. es of the seven seas. Those sea routes, established long ago when seasonal monsoon winds governed the age of Recorded history tells us that Galle was a prominent sail, have empowered the growth and prosperity of na- sea port through which Persians, Arabs, Greeks, Ro- tions around the world. mans, Malays, Indians and the Chinese were all con- That dynamic is still the case today, where 90 per- ducting business with our Island Nation. cent of global trade remains dependent upon sea borne transport. In an increasingly interdependent global In 1411, a stone tablet was erected in Galle in three economy, we share an interest in providing continued languages – Chinese, Tamil, and Persian – to com- security at sea, in order to produce stability, which in memorate the second visit to Sri Lanka by the Chi- turn sets the conditions that allow prosperity the oppor- nese admiral Zheng He. More tunity to continue to grow. More 2 NEWS - SRI LANKA: Embassy of Sri Lanka TOURISM PROMOTION ROAD United States and Sri Lanka SHOW 2017 IN THE UNITED Co-host Pacific Airlift Rally STATES with a Focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief The second session of the and Chameera Peiris, As- Sri Lanka Tourism Promo- sistant Director, Marketing tion Road Show was held at of the Sri Lanka Tourism the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Promotion Bureau.