Development, environment balance vital

Prime Minister tells APRSCP inauguration:

Rafik JALALDEEN

People must work together to find ways and means for rapid economic development while at the same time protect the environment ensuring the lives of the future generation will not be endangered, Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne said.

The future generation is entitled to a high quality of life as the present generation, the Prime Minister said addressing the inauguration ceremony of 9th Asia Pacific Round-table meeting for Sustainable Consumption and Production (APRSCP) yesterday.

The Prime Minister recalling the country's history and how ancestors had protected the country for the benefit of mankind in a sustainable manner said the blacksmiths of Kotmale knew the art of war weaponry manufacture and produced the best weapons such as swords, arrows and spears.

A research has shown that Sri Lanka was producing steel for 'Damascus' swords, adding that the interesting fact is that these industries were run as sustainable industry independent of fossil fuel and no hazardous materials were used wasting resources, he said.