New Year messages

We greet New Year with pride, satisfaction

At the dawn of a New Year it is customary to look back on the year just ended and reflect on our expectations for the next, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a New Year message.

The President said: "We greet the New Year with commensurate pride and satisfaction at our achievements in the past year when, together as a nation, we overcame the deadly challenge of terrorism, bringing to an end 27 years of mindless brutality, debilitating self-doubt, and unforeseen division among our people.

With tremendous sacrifice Sri Lanka prevailed as one, as we have done repeatedly in our history. This transition into a New Year is an opportunity to again express our thanks on behalf of the nation to all service personnel who willingly made the supreme sacrifice and to the mothers, fathers, spouses and children of those heroes of our time.

We look to the New Year with abundant hope in our ability to fulfil the aspirations of our people for progress and prosperity as a nation, and a land of peace and unity for our children. We look forward with a commitment to heal the wounds of the past and also resist the pressures from abroad that stand in our way in this great task; as we stood firm against uninvited interference in our efforts to defeat terrorism.

With the cost and pain of conflict behind us, my Government will now be even more focused on diverting our energies to development; continuing the many massive projects we launched in the midst of the fight against terror, and launching new ventures to bring to our country the progress it has been denied from the time of independence.

Our strategy of development in the new decade beginning today will seek to make Sri Lanka the South Asian hub of ocean and air traffic, and communications in a knowledge-based society. We shall build on the foundations already laid in the construction of harbours, airports, extensive road networks and the marked increase in IT literacy in Sri Lanka.

We have in sight a period of reconciliation and tolerance having shown the world our success in resettling nearly 300,000 internally displaced citizens within a given target, with most of them already back in their homes or in familiar terrain.

Similarly, we will not be held back by threatened economic sanctions or withdrawn trade concessions by those who seek strategic interference in the national affairs of Sri Lanka, at a time when our people are moving towards a decisive stage in the political development of the country.

We remain committed to a strengthened and sustained friendship with the countries that supported us in full measure to defeat terrorism and bring peace to our people. Similarly, we shall foster and encourage good relations with those who recognize and respect our sovereignty and encourage us in ways to move on the path to peace and prosperity.

The developments we envisage at the dawn of this New Year will be those that protect our environment and safeguard our national assets, while ensuring expanded and fair trade in an increasingly competitive world.

It is with a renewed commitment to the stability of the State, and the progress of our people that I extend to you the warmest greetings for a Peaceful, Happy and Prosperous New Year, which will usher in the greatness and dignity that is the right of all Sri Lankans."

All must unite for common objective

The national responsibility before us in the future is to establish prosperity in the country while enjoying the hard won freedom, said Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka in a New Year message.

The message: "We are entering 2010 by adding 2009 to the history as the year which ensured the victory of the Motherland by eradicating separatist terrorism which destroyed the country for three decades. In an atmosphere where we can now live a dignified life as a nation after overcoming every challenge which was considered difficult creating a prosperous country would not be a difficult task.

The time has come for all to cast aside narrow objectives and unite for a common objective to realise them for the sake of the country's future. Sri Lankans had been adept in overcoming challenges from the ancient past.

Our forefathers had successfully eradicated the dangers posed by alien enemies and created a prosperous nation for the future generation. On this eve of a new year, it is the duty of Sri Lankans to actively contribute towards the development effort aimed at creating a disciplined generation within a prosperous country.

Let us all march towards a better future with the new beginning of 2010."

Golden opportunity to project ourselves

Today we are celebrating the New Year - 2010 as a proud nation with a sense of complete freedom after eliminating the decade-old terrorism in the country. We have got a golden opportunity to project ourselves as a strong, outstanding, righteous and intelligent nation in the world, said Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa in a new year message. At a time like this, when all the people are united under the banner of the national flag. It highly opportune for us to resolve ourselves to face the challenges to rebuild the nation and its future.

Today we have a bounden duty to extend our contribution towards ensuring an undivided country for the well-being of the future generation.

Future with fresh outlook

The dawn of this New Year 2010 has enabled the people of the country to look to the future with a fresh mind after the end of the three-decade-old war by mid 2009, Mass Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said in a New Year message.

The people of this country shared with us all the sacrifices politically during the past three decades.

In the end, we have come to the road of peace after eliminating the terrorism with the help of soldiers under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Today, the people irrespective of whether they are from the South, North or East wake up with a sense of freedom.

The people need not wait long to pay their gratitude to the President who brought about this change in the country. Let us use this opportunity to create a brighter future with emphasis on development in the country.

Year dawns with development war

The New Year 2010 dawns with several victories to our credit as a nation. This year begins with a massive war to develop the country after the end of the three-decade-old war. This war is as equal as the war we fought earlier, said Plantation Industries Minister and UPFA General Secretary D.M. Jayaratne in a New Year message.

If not for President Mahinda Rajapaksa, we could never have thought of this New Year as a Year of New Expectations. We, as a nation, must take a resolution to transform this year as a Year of Development. The second victory of freedom will be highly meaningful only when we achieve success in this war on development. It will be a good example to the rest of the world.

Let us resolve ourselves today towards realising this noble objective.

Better future for plantation community

The leadership of the Ceylon Workers' Congress has received unstinted co-operation and encouragement from President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government to gradually lift the plantation community from its exclusion to its inclusion in the mainstream of the Sri Lankan society sans ethnic origin, creed and religious considerations says the New Year Message of CWC's General Secretary and Youth Empowerment and Socio Economic Development Minister Arumugam Thondaman.

The forthcoming Presidential Election is a testing ground for the plantation community to separate chaff from the grain, substance from shadow and reality from rhetoric, he added.

Peace and prosperity for all - FM

It gives me great pleasure to send this message to all Sri Lankans at home and abroad at the dawn of 2010, the New Year, states Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.

The message adds the year that has just ended has perhaps been the most significant. In Sri Lanka's post independence history as it saw the scourge of LTTE terrorism finally being eliminated from Sri Lanka's soil after almost thirty years, under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This victory was achieved from many fronts. While the tri-forces were able to defeat the LTTE militarily, there were also many others who worked at various levels and from different fronts to make this victory possible.

This is perhaps the first time that Sri Lanka is holding the Chairmanship of three important international and regional organizations. In addition, Sri Lanka was endorsed to host the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

During this phase of reconciliation and healing and with the dawn of peace finally becoming a reality in Sri Lanka, I am convinced that we would be able to usher in an era of permanent peace and prosperity for all our people in the year 2010. I wish to extend my warm and sincere greetings to all Sri Lankan nationals at home and abroad, for a bright and prosperous New Year.