The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 His Excellency To Lam, Hon. Prime Minister, Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members of the Sri Lankan Parliament, distinguished guests and friends, Your Excellency, we are extremely proud and honoured to have you visit Sri Lanka and address this noble and august Assembly, our Legislature, which illustrates Sri Lanka’s democratic vitality and strength.

¶ 02 If I may go back in time, it was in 1978 that one of the distinguished leaders of Viet Nam, the then Hon. Prime Minister of Viet Nam, His Excellency Pham Van Dong, visited Sri Lanka during the J. R. Jayewardene administration and I remember, distinctly, that, as a small child, I also had the distinguished opportunity of meeting him.

¶ 03 Viet Nam, as a country, has shown that challenges, despair and conflict can be transformed into growth, poverty reduction, peace and prosperity. Viet Nam is a classic example of a country which has a single-minded approach and determination to ensure that challenges are overcome and setbacks are transformed into victories. If I may say so, the pathbreaking reforms known as “Doi Moi” propelled your country into one of the fastest-growing economies. Today, your country is valued in monetary terms with the economy ranging from US Dollars 480 billion to US Dollars 500 billion and each year, attracting US Dollars 27 billion in foreign direct investment. We remember quite distinctly one example of your vitality, strength and determination to attract foreign investment. When Samsung was in the process of deciding whether to invest in Sri Lanka or Viet Nam, your country already had the framework, the structure and the requisite policies in place to attract it and today, it has become a manufacturing giant. Today, Viet Nam has managed to ensure that the prosperity it generates is shared and that it has an inclusive growth. You have made sure that your growth and prosperity are not enjoyed by a powerful few, but rather by major sectors and sections of your society engaged in economic activity, and they appreciate and enjoy the fruits, results and consequences of growth and economic development.

¶ 04 Hon. Members of Parliament, Viet Nam is a classic example of economic development, which Sri Lanka must learn from. Both in terms of macroeconomic and microeconomic management, Viet Nam has shown, over the past few decades, how adversity could be overcome and victory attained.

¶ 05 Your Excellency, your visit today symbolizes that both our countries share a common purpose and common religious and cultural traditions. We are inextricably linked by the human values we possess.

¶ 06 May I also remind you that Viet Nam’s great late Leader Ho Chi Minh visited Sri Lanka not once, not twice, but three times. The great Leader Ho Chi Minh is the epitome of anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism. With few resources, but with great determination, you fought off French colonialism and American imperialism. Today, you are following a model approach — a non-aligned approach, if I may say so — establishing positive alignments with all members of the international community. So, Your Excellency, I congratulate you, your country, your people — the citizenry — and the Government on all your achievements. Also, I would like to take this opportunity to request you to have a closer relationship with Sri Lanka and promote cooperation, specifically in technologically advanced fields such as electronics, artificial intelligence and modern-day technological sectors so that both our countries can move forward and prosper.

¶ 07 Surely, Sri Lanka has a lot to learn from your country. We will ensure that your visit acts as a symbol of greater cooperation, establishing mutual respect for each other. Let us move forward as two countries.

¶ 08 Thank you very much.