Dear Honorable Minister,
Dear Colleagues parliamentarians and Friends of Sri Lanka,

I wish to welcome you wholeheartedly in Switzerland. We all now what was your struggle for liberty. Fifty-five years ago, on the 4th of February 1948, you became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations.

Your country is beautiful and the name Sri Lanka meaning "Resplendent Island" is well deserved. Many Swiss citizens have visited this island and will never forget their stay in your country. We also appreciate the good work some of your countrymen show in different branches of our economy.

We share a few things in common. Our population is made up of different groups. The proportion of German Swiss is about equivalent to the proportion of Sinhalese, the proportion of French Speaking corresponds to that of Tamils. Sri Lanka Moors are about as numerous as Italian speaking Swiss. Your minorities have their place on the national flag symbolized by the two vertical stripes of saffron and green.

Like you, we have also different religions the Christians, Protestants and Catholics, Jews and newly, a numerous Muslim community. You have Buddhists, Hinduisms, Muslims and Christians.

Peaceful coexistence between different cultures and languages are always difficult. We don't believe to have any world wide recipe to offer. 150 years ago there was a civil war in Switzerland between Catholic and Protestant cantons. A compromise was established with the federal Constitution of 1848. Powers were transferred to the federal level and other maintained in the sphere of the cantons. Popular rights were developed. Legal clauses have always granted rights to the minorities. We can share our experience if this is the wish of our visitors.

We sincerely hope that ongoing efforts in Thailand, Norway and Germany and soon in Japan to establish a lasting peace are successful. Your country deserves a great and peaceful future.

I raise my glass to the friendly relations between the Parliaments of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Swiss Confederation, to the prosperity of all citizens of Sri Lanka, in particular to all those present today, under the guidance of your President, Mrs. Chandrika Bandanaraike Kumaratunga and of your Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe.