Role of the International Community in Post-war Sri Lanka
On a joint invitation extended by the University of
Kuwait and the Kuwait Historical Society, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to
Kuwait, H.E Sarath Dissanayake delivered a speech at the University
auditorium on 23rd November, under the theme "Post-war Sri Lanka -
Opportunities & Way Forward" with special emphasis on the Role of the
International Community.
The University academic staff, students, members of
the cooperate sector, media, Sri Lankan community and well-wishers were
among the large gathering. The event was held under the distinguished
patronage of Prof. Sheika Maymounah Khalifa Al-Sabah, Dean of the
Faculty of Arts and President of the Kuwait Historical Society and was
presided over by Dr. Abdullah M. Alhajeri, Vice Dean for Student
Affairs, University of Kuwait.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Dissanayake
outlined Sri Lanka's legacy of a three-decade old terror campaign and
its vision to usher in a new era of lasting peace and prosperity for all
Sri Lankans. He said countries affected by scourge of terrorism can
benefit from Sri Lanka's unparalleled success story in eradicating
terrorism which he referred to as "unique & extraordinary". Elaborating
further, Ambassador said post-war Sri Lanka is full of hopes and
opportunities and requested the government and people of Kuwait to take
advantage of the peaceful atmosphere in the country in order to explore
Sri Lanka's beauty and diversity and invest in country's emerging
sectors such as infrastructure, real estate, industries, tourism,
hospitality etc. which could offer win-win situations for all.
An overview of Sri Lanka
From a historical point of view, Ambassador said Sri
Lanka's attractions are worth visiting and exploring. On the other hand,
he said Sri Lanka is a unique country in terms of its diversity in
weather, attractions, fauna & flora, culture and people. Sri Lanka's
strategic location was emphasized as a centre of geo-political,
economic, security and maritime influence which has been the key for
what it has been to the British, the Dutch and the Portuguese as well as
to traders, navigators and explorers from Middle East and Europe who
once referred Sri Lanka as the "Most Beautiful Island in the World" as
well as the "Pearl of Indian Ocean". Sri Lanka also has earned a
reputation of being a country blessed with a highly literate,
disciplined and trained work force having a distinct advantage over that
of their Asian counterparts.
Role of the International Community
Speaking on the Sri Lanka's hard-won peace and
freedom, Ambassador praised the country's leaders for having achieved a
historic victory, what most believed was "impossible" against one of the
most ruthless and deadliest terror groups. In "hindsight" he said the
world has witnessed in Sri Lanka, in no uncertain terms, the
"largest-ever humanitarian rescue operation" carried out by any country
in the recent history. Speaking further,
Ambassador sets out in detail his country's potential
ventures now open up for foreign investors. It was further noted that
the government has embarked upon an ambitious programme of resettlement
and rehabilitation endeavour in the North East, which will offer the
worst affected people a new lease on life with dignity and self-respect.
He also dwelled on the people-friendly policies and programmes being
implemented by the government to revive Sri Lanka's economic lifelines
in the country as "peace dividends", for which the support of the
international community and the Sri Lankan expatriates abroad would be
crucial. Speaking further, he also said that the war had been the single
biggest burden and impediment to the country's peace and progress and
was also a hindrance for investment. Peace dawned at last has rekindled
hopes and the country is ready to take off and win back the glory the
Sri Lankans had enjoyed for generations. The Ambassador was grateful to
the friendly countries for their overwhelming support and cooperation in
the nation building endeavour and added "the peaceful atmosphere now
prevails in the country would auger well for the foreign stakeholders to
become partners in the country's development and progress for mutual
benefit".
Opportunities and Peace Dividends
The current rate of economic growth at 6% is expected
to rise as much as 10% in the next couple of years on the expectation of
a surge in foreign investments, revival of economic activities, recovery
of war-torn areas etc. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the
country also is certain to grow thanks to the confidence placed in Sri
Lanka by the international community and lending partners. The tourism
sector will also thrive in peace times and has already registered an
impressive recovery with the number of arrivals has recorded a 30% - 50%
increase overall. The fisheries and agriculture sectors in the Northern
& Eastern provinces which had hitherto been neglected or held back from
realizing its full potential, would indeed prosper as the people have
begun livelihood and income generating activities with much hope and
optimism. The overall economy of Sri Lanka has bounced back with
impressive growth rates, which, in the short term will offer people, the
much awaited peace dividends in terms of higher incomes and better
earnings. In the long-term, it is expected to project a better picture
of Sri Lanka's economy and GDP growth with micro & macro economic as
well as financial policies and fundamentals need to be readjusted to
suit the ever-changing circumstances within and outside Sri Lanka. In
this context, the multi-pronged approach of the government has yielded a
positive outcome with direct benefits to people in the North and East in
particular, and people in the other areas in general. The government and
private sector institutions throughout the country have enlivened to
meet the challenges ahead, thereby contribute for the betterment of the
country. The resurgence of country's hard-hit agricultural, industrial
and service sectors are on the verge of recovery and would soon gather
momentum towards realizing their true potential as envisioned in the
"National Plan of Action" and "Economic Policy Framework" of the
government.
Kuwait's Assistance and Goodwill towards Sri Lanka
As for the Kuwait - Sri Lanka relations, Ambassador
Dissanayake said that the multifaceted relations between the two
countries have been promising while Kuwait's generous development
assistance and goodwill have been of immense benefit to Sri Lanka. He
also appreciated the invaluable role played by the media in Kuwait in
keeping the government, private sector, the general public etc. abreast
of Sri Lanka's potential opportunities for investors abroad. He also
took the opportunity to extend his appreciation to the Kuwait University
and staff for their pioneering role in providing educational
opportunities and exchange programmes for overseas students. Ambassador
also remarked that "the Kuwait University has become a centre of
learning par excellence with which universities in Sri Lanka wish to
establish closer links".
Closing Remarks
Ambassador wished that his presentation and
interaction would be of interest to the members in the audience in
understanding Sri Lanka's current situation and its vision for a
peaceful and prosperous future. At a time Sri Lanka is focused on
steering the nation on the right course, he said, "there is cause for
optimism and satisfaction among the people of their future prospects".
He also expressed the belief that the international community including
Kuwait would cease this opportune moment in Sri Lanka's history and
become stakeholders of the nation's endeavours toward progress and
prosperity.
In closing, he thanked the Kuwait University and its
staff, invitees, students and well-wishers for their active
participation and interest in the presentation and invited them to visit
Sri Lanka. The speech was followed by a question & answer session and a
video presentation on Sri Lanka which were well received by the
audience.
Courtesy: www.slembkwt.org
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