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'Silk Route' book launched

'Tyronne Fernando, Minister of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday launched the second edition of the publication 'Sri Lanka and the Silk Route of the Sea' sponsored by the Sri Lankan Institute of International Relations, in collaboration with the Central Cultural Fund, the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO and Prof. Senake Bandaranaike, Chairman of the National Heritage Commission.

' 'Sri Lanka and the Silk Route of the Sea' comprises a number of research papers and articles which were collected in one volume in 1990, in response to a request from the Organizing Committee of the Maritime Silk Route Seminar in association with the UNESCO Maritime Silk Route expedition, as part of its "Silk Roads, Roads of Dialogue" project. A limited edition was published and launched at this seminar which was held in Colombo in 1990.

'The historic themes, the sketched dynamics of an island's civilization leading to the development of an independent geo-political and cultural entity with a multi-cultural identity, found an unexpectedly strong demand among the public and the limited edition was sold out.

'One of the first initiatives of the recently inaugurated Sri Lanka Institute of International Relations has been to look at these early influences on our foreign policy and Sri Lanka's role in the world.

'This second edition of 'Sri Lanka and the Silk Route of the Sea' will also mark our turn to chair during this year 2003, two emerging regional cooperation initiatives, in the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR-ARC) and in South East Asia (BIMST-EC).

'Coincidently, the Sri Lanka Institute for International Relations is located in a building with historical links to the ancient Silk Route, having once housed the Imperial Lighthouse service, which built and maintained the lighthouses all around the island, making its safe for visiting ships and, mariners to call at our shores. Today the renovated 'Lighthouse' building serves as a modern beacon to foster knowledge and stimulate awareness and public discussion of international issues and trends.

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