Sri Lanka, grateful for Thai friendship and support - Speaker

Sandasen Marasinghe, Irangika Range and Disna Mudalige

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided when Parliament met at 2.45 p.m yesterday at a special session for the address to the Members of Parliament by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Yinghluck Shinawatra. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said it is an honour and privilege to welcome to our Parliament at this special session, Yingluck Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, one of the most dynamic and outstanding leaders in South East Asia.

She is also the first woman Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.

“In the year 2003, we were honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to welcome Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, the then Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand and the beloved brother

of Your Excellency, who graciously accepted our invitation to address our Parliament.

“Today, we are equally privileged and honoured, to be able to listen to your address, Madam Prime Minister, which will be delivered after ten years from the address of your distinguished and illustrious brother Dr. Shinawatra, which is a historic event in our Parliament.

“Madam Prime Minister, your visit to our Parliament will strengthen the long standing relationship with Thailand, which dates back to many centuries. Both our countries have a predominantly Buddhist culture based on the Theravada tradition. We are also grateful to your country for the assistance rendered to revive Buddhist practices at a time when Buddhism suffered a decline in our country.

“The Parliament of Sri Lanka and the Parliament of Thailand have had a close friendship for many decades. Our Parliament is privileged to have formed a Sri Lanka -Thailand Parliamentary Friendship Association to further consolidate and strengthen the relationship between the two Legislatures.

“Our Parliament greatly appreciates the continued and steady growth of bilateral relations between the two countries in recent years and the high level interactions between the State Leaders through reciprocal visits, such as the visit of His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka to your country in the year 2012, which has given the necessary impetus to strengthen and consolidate the existing ties.

“We are also very grateful to Thailand for its support to Sri Lanka at international and regional forums, particularly at the UN Human Rights Council. Sri Lanka and Thailand are active members of the BMISTEC. We are looking forward for the next BMISTEC Summit where Your Excellency would be meeting His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka along with other BIMSTEC leaders.

“Similarly, we are dynamic members of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) and Sri Lanka is happy to take part in the next ACD Summit to be held in Thailand in 2015.

“ Madama Yinguluck Shinawatra has read for her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in the University of Chiang Mai and is also the holder of a Maser of Public Administration Degree from the Kentucky State University, USA.

“Madam Shinawatra has had a long and a brilliant career with the corporate sector and she has held many executive positions in some of the top ranking companies in Thailand”.