Today, Sri Lanka celebrates 73rd Anniversary of her Independence. I wish to extend my warmest greetings and felicitations to all Sri Lankans living in the Sultanate of Oman and back home on this special occasion.

73’d Anniversary is a significant occasion in our bilateral relations with the Sultanate of Oman as it coincides with the establishment of 40th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman which falls on 17th of February 202l.
We are planning to organize a series of events to celebrate this historic occasion throughout the year. I firmly believe that this remarkable year will serve as a catalyst to further elevate bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman to new heights in the years ahead.

Sri Lanka has embarked on a journey and adopted policies that focus on the socio-economic growth. The vision of H.E. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour”, is a clear roadmap to march towards a prosperous Sri Lanka. Oman’s Vision 2040
engineered by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, is a blueprint for the Sultanate’s future socio-economic development. _: I believe that these two visions offer enormous opportunities for partnership and collaboration
between the two countries particularly in the economic diversification drive, for the mutual benefit of the two peoples.

People to People contact is the bedrock of the relations between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman. A vibrant Sri Lankan Community in Oman has been an important component in our bilateral relations and they have been playing a significant role in furthering the relations between the two countries. I wish to thank the Government and the people of Oman for
extending their warm hospitality to the Sri Lankan community in Oman who had the opportunity to contribute towards the Sultanate’s progress for last five decades under the blessed renaissance spearheaded by the visionary leadership of Late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin
Said.

On this auspicious occasion, I wish to thank all the members of the Sri Lankan community in the Sultanate of Oman for their unwavering support extended to the Embassy as well as for their outstanding sense of social responsibility and solidarity shown to the host country during
the challenging times in the aftermath of COVID-19 outbreak.

I wish to place on record my sincere gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for granting an “amnesty’to the Sri Lankan nationals who overstayed in Oman, to return back to their homeland with the exemption of fines or penalties.

While I extend my sincere appreciation to the Government of the Sultanate of Oman for taking care of the health and welfare of the Sri Lankan community in the Sultanate during the outbreak of COVID-l9 pandemic, I am also grateful, in particular, to the enormous support extended by the Foreign Ministry of the Sultanate of Oman towards the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Muscat.

I take this opportunity to extend my best wishes for the good health, happiness and personal well-being of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and for the continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of the Sultanate of Oman.