In his address at the gala dinner reception hosted for delegates of the Indian Travel Congress here, Abeywardena said that India “saved us” during the financial crisis otherwise, there would have been “another bloodbath for all of us”.
At the evening reception, the Speaker thanked India for the help extended to the cash-strapped nation and recalled the civilisational ties and similarities between the two countries and their cultures.
“Sri Lanka and India are very, very closely interconnected countries, culturally, nationally, and policy-wise, and above all, India has been a very close associate and trustworthy friend of Sri Lanka,” Abeywardena said, adding that when “we were in trouble”, India always helped out. “And, even this time, today, I heard that India is willing to extend our restructuring of loans for 12 years. Never expected, and never in the history, not a single country has extended that kind of assistance,” he said.
He recalled the helping hand lent by India during the period of trouble last year that devastated the Sri Lankan economy, pushing it into a debt crisis.
“I must tell you, during the trouble that we had last year, you (India) saved us, India saved us otherwise, there would have been another bloodbath for all of us. So, that is how India came to help us,” Abeywardena said.
He made the remarks in the presence of the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, Sri Lanka’s Tourism and Lands Minister, Harin Fernando, and other senior officials of the Sri Lankan government.
“Your ambassador here, (a) very close friend of ours. We love and respect him,” the Speaker said, referring to Baglay.
Noting the similarity between the Indian surname Singh and the Sri Lankan surname Singhe, Abeywardena claimed that “it shows we are genetically connected to India”.
“That way, India is not a new country to us. It’s part of the ethos of our country, part of our life, part of our heart,” he said, adding, “We are here to receive you, respect you, join with you.” “Together, we (Sri Lanka) can join with you (India), without any difficulty or hesitation, with great trust,” the Speaker said.
In his address, Fernando pitched Sri Lanka — Pearl of the Indian Ocean — as a unique destination for India and the rest of the world, saying, “One island nation offers so many different tourist experiences, without travelling far from one location to another.” Sri Lankan Speaker Abeywardena thanks India for help amid financial crisis Sri Lankan Speaker Abeywardena thanks India for help amid financial crisis Sri Lankan Speaker Abeywardena thanks India for help amid financial crisis Sri Lankan Speaker Abeywardena thanks India for help amid financial crisis Sri Lankan Speaker Abeywardena thanks India for help amid financial crisis Sri Lankan Speaker Abeywardena thanks India for help amid financial crisis IgMp
