The Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) at Diyatalawa on Sunday (19) wore ceremonial garbs one more time and adorned the shoulders of 316 more brave sons and daughters of the country with insignia of the President’s Commission when they proudly passed out in a glittering spectacle after completion of their military training amidst greetings and best wishes of the highest security arsenal of the island, HE the President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence, General Kamal Gunaratne (Rtd), Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva and the cream of Senior Tri Service Officers.

The day’s itinerary for the 96th Passing out Parade (POP) commenced with the arrival of the Chief Guest, HE the President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces who was accorded a drive past Guard Turnout at the entrance to the SLMA premises.

Afterwards, HE the President was invited to the SLMA War Memorial for wreath-laying in the company of the Commander of the Army and the SLMA, Commandant, Brigadier Nalinda Niyangoda before the Parade honoured the President in conformity with military traditions. Not forgetful of invaluable past sacrifices of fallen War Heroes, the Chief Guest for the occasion laid a floral tribute to the SLMA war memorial in the premises at first and paid his solemn respect to their memory after he was warmly received by the Secretary Defence and Commander of the Army on arrival, together with the SLMA Commandant.

The Passing out Parade (PoP) ceremony of those 316 Officer Cadets, including Ladies, considered as the most eagerly event of their career after sustained training according to their intakes assumed greater significance with the presence of the Head of State as the Chief Guest and was dignified by the presence of the top brass of the country's security apparatus.

As the Chief Guest was entering the parade square, precisely by colourfully-dressed Army bands with their rhythmic beats and associated formalities, heralded the formal inauguration of the most central segment of the commissioning ceremony where new Cadet Officers, received their symbolic and ornamental swords as graduation from the day’s Chief Guest, HE the President and other dignitaries, symbolizing the official commissioning.

The climax of the day’s event got underway then with the presentation of the salute to the Chief Guest by new graduates in the colourful parade.

The parade, commanded by Major R.A.A Ranawaka, together with Captain B.A.P.D.A Bamunusinghe as the Parade’s Second in Command and the Academy Sergeant Major (ASM), Warrant Officer-1 W.P.D.R Weerasinghe was staged in a spectacular setting, cooled by salubrious climatic conditions. Sunday’s ceremony at Diyatalawa saw 73 Officer Cadets in the Regular Intake 89, 13 Officer Cadets in the Regular Intake 90, 150 Officer Cadets in the Regular Intake 89 Bravo (Intake 32,33,35 of Kotelawala Defence University), 1 Lady Officer Cadet in Regular Lady Officer Cadets Intake 18 (A), 60 Officer Cadets in the Volunteer Officer Cadet Intake 61 (V), 15 Lady Officer Cadets in the Volunteer Lady Officer Cadet Intake 17 thus received their prestigious commissions before they are formally deployed for service across the island as 2nd Lieutenants.

Those Cadet Officers who underwent the SLMA training upon receipt of their commissions in the formal PoP will take up duties around the country to serve as dedicated sons for nation-building challenges and tasks as true protectors and defenders of the nation.

A brief address by the Chief Guest to the occasion a few minutes later culminated the first leg of the day’s ceremony.

All the graduates had the rare distinction of posing for a group photograph with the Chief Guest, HE the President, Secretary Defence and the Commander of the Army on the same occasion. HE the President added memories of his visit to this military academy by planting a sapling in the compound. Before his departure from the SLMA premises, HE the President was honoured awarding a special memento and inviting him to leave his compliments in the Visitors' Book at the SLMA Cadet Mess.

The First Lady, Mrs Ioma Rajapaksa, Chairperson, Ministry of Defence - Seva Vanitha Unit (MoD-SVU), Mrs Chithrani Gunaratne, Major General Vikum Liyanage, Chief of Staff, Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda, Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General Channa Weerasuriya, Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, President, Army Seva Vanitha Unit, Mrs Sujeewa Nelson were also among the invitees. Retired military veterans, Senior Officers, parents and well-wishers, relatives of Cadet Officers and distinguished invitees witnessed the day's colourful main highlights.

Following are the Best achievers in respective Intakes :

Regular Officer Cadet Intake 89 :

Award for the First in Order of Merit : Battalion Under Officer C.M.M Rukshan

Award for the Sword of the Honour : Battalion Under Officer C.M.M Rukshan

Regular Officer Cadet Intake 89 B:

Award for the First in Order of Merit: Platoon Under Officer R.T.L.A Silva

Award for the Sword of the Honour : Company Under Officer H.E.A Ranjula

Regular Officer Cadet Intake 90:

Award for the First in Order of Merit: Company Under Officer T.R.C.D Ratnayake

Award for the Sword of the Honour : Company Under Officer T.R.C.D Ratnayake

Volunteer Officer Cadet Intake 60 :

Award for the First in Order of Merit: Officer Cadet A.M.D.T.N Perera

Award for the Sword of the Honour : Officer Cadet A.M.D.T.N Perera

Volunteer Lady Officer Cadet Intake 17 :

Award for the First in Order of Merit: Platoon Under Officer H.A.T Prabashwari

Honoury Stick for the Best Foreign Officer Cadet Award :

Platoon Under Officer A Adam of Republic of Maldives

- SL Army

Beginning the meeting, Musab Al-Nisf of the KCCI, who moderated the event, briefed the participants on the general business environment in Kuwait and explained the process of
entering the Kuwait market.

Addressing the participants, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Kuwait Mohammed Jauhar highlighted the importance of trade relations between the two countries, noting that the
relations predate the establishment of formal diplomatic relations. He urged the Kuwaiti business community to help to train Sri Lankans for employment in unskilled and semi-
skilled categories, while commending the Sri Lankan workforce in Kuwait for being efficient and trustworthy employees. The Ambassador also took the opportunity to promote Sri
Lanka’s touristic attractions, which are ranked among the top travel destinations worldwide, and invited the participants to visit Sri Lanka.

President of the NCCSL Buddika Nandipala expressed hope that the webinar would enhance relations between the business communities of both countries, following the signing of
the MOU between the two chambers in January, 2020.

Chairman & Chief Executive of the SLEDB Suresh De Mel enlightened the gathering on products and services available for export. The SLEDB has been working with the
Embassy to promote Sri Lanka’s exports to Kuwait and helped host the webinar.

Executive Director of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Prasanjith Wijayatilake presented, in detail, investment opportunities in Sri Lanka as well as the benefits Sri Lanka
provides to potential investors.

Fidah Homoud Alrashidi of the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition of Kuwait informed the participants on the opportunities available for the Sri Lankan community in the
food and nutrition sector.

Over 60 participants from the private sector in both the countries took part at the event, while arrangements were made for simultaneous B2B meetings. Counsellor of the Embassy
of Sri Lanka Kethma Rajapaksha Yapa coordinated the organization of the webinar.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Kuwait

The purpose of the event was to reinvigorate market enthusiasm for Ceylon Cinnamon in Australia by bringing forth new information on various export products of Ceylon Cinnamon manufactured in Sri Lanka, and the process of their export to Australia, with special focus on Australian regulations and market dynamics.

The presenters provided an array of information and insights on the topic. It was noted that Sri Lanka, as the largest producer and exporter of ‘true cinnamon’ to the world with more than 80% of world cinnamon production, has earned 56% of the total earnings of $335Mn from spices in 2020 solely from cinnamon. The current cinnamon production capacity of 21,000Mt, with export quantity of 19,000Mt, has the potential for expansion up to 25,000 - 30,000Mt a year. The nation branding of Sri Lankan spices, with a focus on cinnamon, provides a significant impetus in this direction. Cassia, which is inferior in quality and is produced by other countries, has become the major competitor for Ceylon Cinnamon in the international market. Presentations were made by Assistant Director of EDB Inoka Wanasinghe and General Manager of HDDE Sumith Ponnamperuma, while Consul General Kapila Fonseka and the Director of Market Development of EDB Anoma Premathilaka delivered the opening remarks.

It was revealed that only a quarter of cinnamon consumption in Australia is from Ceylon Cinnamon, and that there is a tremendous potential of growth for Ceylon Cinnamon in the Australian market. Speaking about the Australian standards and regulatory requirements, the International Business Development Manager of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Eddie Zhao explained Australia’s strict bio-security rules. He stated that some products may be subjected to import conditions or may require the submission of supporting documentation to relevant Australian authorities, while some may even require import permits. The Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, which is the responsible authority in this regard, can be reached through its website www.awe.gov.au.

Proprietor of Citro Essential Australia Upul Kularatne briefed the audience on his personal experience in importing cinnamon products from Sri Lanka to Australia. He advised potential new importers and exporters to obtain consultations from custom clearance agents in Australia and to further their knowledge on the Australian bio security requirements prior to commencing trading with Australia.

The highlight of the event was a demonstration by the Sri Lankan singing chef in Australia Don Sherman during which he prepared traditional Sri Lankan cuisine using Ceylon Cinnamon as an ingredient.

Importers in Australia, exporters in Sri Lanka, members of the Consular Corps and the Sri Lankan media fraternity participated in the webinar, which was jointly organized by the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Melbourne and the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Australia-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and the Australia-Sri Lanka Business Council. This event was the most recent from a series of trade promotional events organized by the Consulate General.

Consulate General of Sri Lanka

Melbourne

The event featured insightful presentations on the culture, history, traditions and distinctive customs of Sri Lanka, Ceylon tea, amazing sights and attractions of the island delivered by the staff of the Embassy. A representative of SriLankan Airlines highlighted the ease of travel from Russia to Sri Lanka with the resumption of direct flights and relaxation of Visa process. The audience also treated with a colourful collection of traditional Sri Lankan dances, Sinhala songs performed by the Russian youth and students of the Sinhala course conducted by the Embassy and a fashion show including batik dresses and Sri Lankan wedding costumes.

The event was attended by around 50 guests representing culture, trade, tourism, tea – related spheres as well as Russian media, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Russia Prof. Janitha A. Liyanage, Deputy Director of the RSL Natalya Samoilenko and Deputy Director of the Center for Oriental Literature of the RSL Mikhail Milanyin. Since due to the pandemic restrictions the admission to the site was restricted, those who could not visit the event were able watch it online through the Embassy social media.

In the course of event, the Embassy donated a number of cultural items, which were received from the National Crafts Council, to the State Museum of Oriental Arts and to the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera). Russian books translated to Sinhala to Russian were also donated to the State Library and the Center for Oriental Literature of the RSL.

The exhibition included books of the Russian State Library collection of Sinhala, Tamil, Russian and English, published in Sri Lanka, in the USSR, Russia and other countries of the world. The exhibition is open for the readers of the library from 23 to 30 November 2021, It includes more than fifty publications, including novels and stories by the outstanding Sri Lankan writer Martin Wickramasinghe.

The Embassy provided for the exhibition numerous objects of culture and everyday life of Sri Lanka: traditional dresses, wooden masks used in rituals and theatrical performances, musical instruments, jewelry and boxes, brass items, batik paintings, etc.

The Embassy highly appreciates the input of everyone who helped to bring the initiative of the “Sri Lankan Day – 2021” to a reality.

− Administration of the Russian State Library and the Center for Oriental Literature;

− Students of the Folk vocal studio «Azure sapphire» from the Marfino Center for Leisure and Culture;

− Sri Lankan students, who performed traditional and national dances and model show of batik dresses;

− Interns of the Embassy who supported for the model show of batik dresses;

− Russian students of the online Sinhala course, who performed a song in Sinhala;

− All Sri Lankan and Russian volunteers;

− All sponsors of the event, etc.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Moscow

General (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Defense was among the Secretaries to the Ministries who received approval of the Committee on High Posts chaired by Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Speaker of Parliament, Nov; (23).

Furthermore, Secretary General of Parliament stated that Mr. W.H. Karunaratna as the Secretary to the Ministry of Development Coordination and monitoring, Mr. D. L. P. R. Abeyratne as the Secretary to the State Ministry of Development of Minor Crops including Sugarcane, Maize, Cashew, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Betel Related Industries and Export Promotion, Mrs. D. N. Liyanage as the Secretary to the Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation have also received approval for their appointments.

Appointments of Mr. M. A. B. V Banadaranayake as the Secretary to the State Ministry of Rattan, Brass, Pottery, Furniture and Industrial Promotion, Mrs. K. A. D. R Nishanthi Jayasinghe as the Secretary to the State Ministry of National Heritage Performing Arts and Rural Arts Promotion and Mr. D. P. G Kumarasiri appointed as the Secretary to the State Ministry of Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure were also approved by the Committee.

The Committee on High Posts also granted its approval for the appointments of Mr. M. N. Ranasinghe a state Secretary to the State Ministry of Promoting the Production and Regulating the Supply of Organic Fertilizer, and Paddy and Grains, Organic Food, Vegetables, Fruits, Chilies, Onion and Potato Cultivation Promoting, Seed Production and Advanced Technology, Agriculture.

The Committee also approved the appointment of Mr. Sirimal Perera as the Secretary to the State Ministry of Urban Development, Waste Disposal and Community cleanliness.

Hon. Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Dinesh Gunawardena, Douglas Devananda, (Dr.) Bandula Gunawardana, Udaya Gammanpila, Hon. State Ministers Vidura Wickramanayaka, (Dr.) Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Hon. Members of Parliament Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, John Seneviratne, Thalatha Athukorala, Dharmalingam Siddharthan were present at this Committee meeting.