Japan - sri Lanka cultural ties reach new heights: PM | Daily News

Japan - sri Lanka cultural ties reach new heights: PM

Sri Lanka’s long standing cultural, political and economic relations with Japan have geared up to a new level, focusing on the field of science and technology, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He said so, was attending a ceremony at the Parliamentary Complex yesterday, organized by the Honganji Foundation to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence and to reaffirm Japan - Sri Lanka bonds.

Consequent to Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Taro Kono’s visit to Sri Lanka last week, the Premier said that President Maithripala Sirisena would make a visit to Japan in March, enhancing the political ties between the two countries. A Parliamentary delegation headed by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya would also visit Japan by the end of February.

“Japan recognizes Sri Lanka as one of the hubs in the Indian Ocean. We have to take the advantage of our country’s strategic location,” he said, while appreciating the Japanese Government’s assistance in the fields of economic development, energy, Port development and planning of Kandy city development.

The Premier observing that the ties between Japan and Sri Lanka are based primarily on culture, said the common heritage of Buddhism led to frequent cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The PM pleasantly recalled that visiting the city of Nara, the first Buddhist kingdom, was a worthwhile exercise, which unfortunately many people in Sri Lanka had not realized.

Wickremesinghe, recalling the contributions of former President J. R. Jayewardene, Sir John Kotalawala, former Japanese PM Shigeru Yoshida and current Japanese PM ShinzoAbe’s father Shintaro Abe on strengthening political ties between the two countries, said strong political ties led to strong economic ties. “The last speech made by our first Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake was to recommend to Parliament that the Japanese Peace Treaty be adopted. We often tend to forget it,” he added.

Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Kenichi Suganuma, assuring continual support for development and national reconciliation, said Japan agreed to become a comprehensive partner of Sri Lanka in post - 2015.

“For more than 65 years, we have very intimate relations with Sri Lanka, both in good times and difficult times. We have been supporting for the development and national reconciliation of Sri Lanka,” he said.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya thanking the Japanese delegation for their goodwill visit, said, “We now have a national Government with the President and Prime Minister representing the two largest political parties. We have a mature and understanding Opposition Leader. All these top leaders have one common agenda, to build our country as a united, truly democratic and prosperous nation,” he commented.

Recalling the profusely quoted speech of late President J R Jayewardena in September 1951 in San Francisco which high lighted the Buddha’s message “Hatred ceases not by hatred but by love,” the Speaker said, “As a nation, you still remember these valuable comments which paved the way for Japan’s journey to be a developed nation with peace and prosperity.

Not forgetting the past is a rare and noble human virtue. the Japanese have this quality in abundance.”

Sri Lanka - Japan Parliamentary Friendship Association President Minister Navin Dissanayake also spoke. Chief Incumbent of Honganji Temple most Ven. Chohjun Ohtani delivered the key note address,while gifts were exchanged as a gesture of good will. 

 


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