24 June 2023 12:00 am Views - 218
US Ambassador Julie Chung said military-to-military relationship between the two countries, which has grown steadily over the years, is focused on bilateral training, exercises, and technical exchanges that will ultimately help to build a resilient force that can contribute to ensuring an open, free, and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.
She said the Peace Corps has helped to form tremendous cross-cultural ties since 1962, with over 500 volunteers having dedicated two or more years of their lives, building capacities in Sri Lankan communities and developing relationships that will last a lifetime.
She hosted an event in Colombo on June 22 to mark the 247th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence. Ambassador Chung took the opportunity to also highlight the anniversary of 75 years of a strong and enduring partnership between the United States and Sri Lanka.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry attended the celebration as the Chief Guest.
American citizens around the world celebrate Independence Day, the day on which the country’s founding fathers gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776 to sign the Declaration of Independence. With the Declaration, America took its first step toward self-government, based on certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and government powers derived by the consent of the governed.
Ambassador Chung said, “We firmly believe that from freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, spring the dynamism and entrepreneurism that can develop a nation, alongside the political and social stability that will secure it. That is true in the United States, in Sri Lanka, and everywhere in between.”
Our partnership flourishes in government-to-government and people-to-people ties that deliver benefits to both Americans and Sri Lankans alike. Since 1956, USAID has provided over US $2 billion in assistance across a variety of sectors, including nutrition, health, education, human rights and governance, disaster response, and the environment. Just in the last year, when Sri Lanka was in the midst of an economic crisis, the United States Government provided over $270 million in new support, from fertilizer for farmers to funding assistance for small businesses.
The United States is Sri Lanka’s largest export market, with $3.3 billion in exports in 2022 alone. It is also one of the preferred destinations of Sri Lanka’s brightest, with 3,000 students travelling to the U.S. to study in the last year. The U.S. Embassy directly supports other academic and professional training through exchanges such as the Fulbright and the International Visitor Leadership Programmes, with nearly 3,000 Sri Lankans participating in these programmes over the past 75 years.