May this Deepavali Day mark the beginning of a better future for all Sri Lankans as a prosperous nation, fulfilling the wishes of all.

The Chief of the Army Staff of India Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees this morning.
“Between the two armed forces, we have an excellent relationship,” Gen. Naravane told Prime Minister Rajapaksa, further noting that this positive interaction will also help cement the bilateral relations between the two countries at all levels, including people-to-people connections.
The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the assistance provided by the Indian Armed Forces to Sri Lanka throughout the years, especially in the area of training.
During the current visit to Sri Lanka, Gen. Naravane will be presenting driving and firing simulators to the School of Sri Lanka Army Service Corps in Anuradhapura. Speaking about this to the Prime Minister, the Indian Army Chief noted that technology will play a big role in the future, particularly in the area of training. Given the high costs involved in maintaining a standing army, Gen. Naravane pointed out that simulators can serve a very useful role.
Among other aspects discussed between the two delegations included regional concerns of fundamentalism and terrorism, and the importance of caring for veterans after their service to the country.

The Navarathri celebration Festival was held under the patronage of Hon. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees last night (12th October). Dr. Subramanian Swamy, a member of Rajya Sabha (Council of States) of the Parliament of India was also present at the celebrations.
Ramachandra Kurukkal Babu Sharma-Co-ordinator (Hindu Religious Affairs) to the Prime Minister, Chief Priest of the Mayurapathy Sri Bathrakali Amman Kovil – Thuraisami Udayaragawa Kurukal and hindu priest Aruna Prashanthan Sharma performed rituals at the ceremony.
As the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious & Cultural Affairs, the Prime Minister had arranged to hold the Navarathri Festival at Temple Trees this year as well as last year.
Navaratri is a Hindu festival that spans nine nights and is celebrated every year in the honor of the divine feminine Devi.
Celebrations include worshipping nine goddesses in nine days, stage decorations, and recital of the legend, enacting of the story, and chanting of the scriptures of Hinduism. Hindu devotees often celebrate Navaratri by fasting. On the final day, called Vijayadashami, the statues are either immersed in a water body such as a river or ocean, or the statue symbolizing the evil is burnt with fireworks, marking the destruction of evil.
The festival also starts the preparation for Diwali, the festival of lights, which is celebrated twenty days after Vijayadashami.
Mrs Shiranthi Rajapaksa, Hon. Douglas Devananda- Minister of Fisheries, Hon. Jeevan Thondaman- State Minister of Estate Housing & Community Infrastructure, Members of Parliament Hon. (Dr.) Suren Raghavan, Hon. M. Rameshwaran, Mr. Yoshitha Rajapaksa-Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Former Chief Justice K. Sripavan, Prof Kapila Gunawardana- Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs and Mr. Senthil Thondaman- Coordinating Secretary to Prime Minister were also present at the gathering.

The Ambassador of Viet Nam to Sri Lanka Ho Thi Thanh Truc foresees many opportunities for Sri Lanka and Viet Nam to enhance bilateral relations in the coming years. She expressed these ideas when she called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday (Oct. 19) afternoon.
The Ambassador said there is much potential to attract investments from Viet Nam to Sri Lanka. In 2019, the trade volume between the two countries stood at approximately US$ 300 million.
In additional to investments, the Ambassador also stressed her country’s interest in furthering Buddhist relations between Sri Lanka and Viet Nam.
Prime Minister Rajapaksa agreed that, given the historical Buddhist heritage of both countries, enhancing these ties could greatly benefit the people-to-people links between Sri Lanka and Viet Nam.
The Ambassador said that the Vietnamese Embassy is already working with Haritha TV on exchanging Buddhist programming. Other related ideas focused on establishing a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka and the exchange of students and religious leaders between the two countries. Currently, there are approximately 100 Vietnamese Buddhist monks studying in Sri Lanka.
The Prime Minister and the Ambassador also discussed improving parliamentary relations between the two countries, through activities such as exchange visits of parliamentarians and continuing the ongoing cooperation at multilateral fora.
The Ambassador of Viet Nam assumed duties in Sri Lanka earlier this year in March.

A range of areas for further cooperation was discussed when the new heads of mission from Gambia, Indonesia and Israel called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning at Temple Trees.
During the discussion with the non-resident Ambassador of Gambia Mustapha Jawara, the two delegations discussed enhancing cooperation between Sri Lanka and Africa overall. The Prime Minister recalled how he promoted relations with the African continent during his presidency, having made state visits to several African countries. Ambassador Jawara requested Sri Lanka’s assistance with student scholarships and technical expertise in areas such as rice cultivation.

Ambassador of Indonesia Dewi Gustina Tobing highlighted Sri Lanka and Indonesia’s 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations this year. She said the embassy hopes to plan a number of events to mark this important milestone in the relations. The Ambassador also noted that there is potential for greater cooperation in areas such as trade, investment and tourism.

The Sri Lankan delegation encouraged Indonesia to consider making use of Sri Lanka’s ports, which could serve as transshipment hubs. Another area of discussion focused on the green economy, the new project Indonesia launched last year to convert fuel-powered motorbikes to electric, and possibilities for similar projects in Sri Lanka. Ambassador Tobing also extended an invitation to Prime Minister Rajapaksa to make an official visit to Indonesia.
Highlighting cooperation between Sri Lanka and Israel in the past in areas such as counterterrorism, non-resident Ambassador of Israel Naor Itzhak Gilon presented several other areas for potential cooperation as well. Given Israel’s success in agriculture and water management, despite the scarcity of arable land and natural water resources, the discussion focused primarily on the sectors of agriculture and water. The Ambassador said Israel is keen on assisting Sri Lanka establish agricultural centers of excellence and providing technical expertise in the area of water management to explore processes such as drip irrigation, desalination and water reuse.
Ambassador Gilon also had positive comments about the Sri Lankan caregivers working in Israel, noting that they have benefitted both countries.

In all three discussions, the Sri Lankan delegation expressed interest in working with the respective countries to attract investors to Sri Lanka and to increase tourism.