Salzburg Governor praises Sri Lanka
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 26 February 2013 15:15
- Hits: 462
Calling Sri Lanka a country ‘’with much potential and richness of culture’’, the Governor of the state of Salzburg Gabi Burgstaller said ‘’it is a beautiful place on earth that Austrians would like to visit.’’ She made this comment at the 65th National Day which was celebrated at Hotel Radisson in Salzburg, coinciding with the opening of the Consulate of Sri Lanka on 07th February 2013.
The Governor also reiterated her commitment to strengthen the relationship between Sri Lanka and Salzburg, stating that ‘both places remain centers of tourist attraction’.
The official opening of the Consulate of Sri Lanka, headed by
Gerhard Huber, the newly appointed Honorary Consul, was attended by several dignitaries in the State of Salzburg, including government officials and members of the consular corps and the business community.
Ambassador Azeez, during his speech, highlighted the importance of the State of Salzburg to Sri Lanka and called for collaboration between Sri Lanka and Salzburg in a number of fields which have opened up for development in the country. He stated that . Huber’s service to Sri Lanka, including his humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of the Tsunami in 2004, manifested his deep attachment to the country and its people.
On 13th February, Sri Lanka also opened a Consulate in Bratislava, the capital city of Slovak Republic, headed by Peter Gabalec, Honorary Consul. At the reception held at Hotel Albrecht, the diplomatic and consular corps in Bratislava, officials of the Government of Slovak Republic and members of the business community, academia and media participated.
Gabalec spoke of his priorities in the work programme of the Consulate, stressing that he intended to play ‘an important role in enhancing trade and tourism between Sri Lanka and Slovakia’. Elaborating on the initiatives taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to lead the nation from peace to prosperity, Ambassador Azeez stated that rehabilitation and reconciliation as well as economic development are proceeding apace under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, expanding opportunities available for Sri Lankans in all fields.
These events in Salzburg and Bratislava were preceded by the celebration of the National Day on 4th of February 2013 at the Chancery of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Vienna.
