The signing ceremony of the Joint Communiqué on establishing diplomatic relations between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Gabonese Republic was held today, 19 March 2021, at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York. On behalf of the respective Governments, the Joint Communiqué was signed by H.E. Mohan Pieris, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations and H.E. Michel Xavier Biang, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Gabonese Republic to the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena stated that the present Government is committed to the development of the country while protecting the independent, sovereign, free and unitary state. He made these remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Eastern Provincial Regional Consular Office of the Foreign Ministry in Trincomalee.

“The Governor has taken steps to provide equal rights to all the people of the country as a unitary state, including the North and the East. Thirty years of terrorism has disrupted life in these areas and development had declined. However, following the defeat of LTTE terrorism, steps were taken to develop these areas during the time of Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The people have not forgotten how the water supply system in the Muttur area was restored and how the service was provided to the people of this area by setting up a hospital in a ship received from the Italian government docked at the Trincomalee harbour during the tsunami disaster that befell on our country. The present government is resuming development activities that were started after the victory of the war and is working currently to improve the living standards of the people in this area. At that time, we solved the water problem in Trincomalee through the Kantale water supply scheme. Presently, our government is taking steps to provide the facilities available in Colombo to the villages as well. We all must work together to make the vision ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ a reality and develop the country. The people know that under our government, we work to make all people be able to live happily. Our humanistic programme receives international support. We urge you not to act in a way that undermines that support. It is to develop this country that the majority of the people in this country have given us power and helped us to form a strong government in the last Presidential election as well as in the General election.”