High Commission of India
Colombo
PRESS RELEASE
Inauguration of the Sri Lanka–India Friendship Arch
The High Commission of India, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka-India Parliamentary Friendship Association and with the support of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, inaugurated the ‘Sri Lanka–India Friendship Arch’ on August 8, 2024, at the National Sandalwood Garden in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte.
The event began with the unveiling of the ‘Sri Lanka-India Friendship Arch’ by Hon’ble Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, who attended as the Chief Guest, alongside H.E. Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka. Hon’ble Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, along with Office Bearers of the Sri Lanka-India Parliamentary Friendship Association, including Parliamentarians Hon’ble M. A. Sumanthiran, Hon’ble Dr. V. Radhakrishnan, and Hon’ble Jagath Kumara Sumithraarachchi, participated in the ceremony by planting Murutha tree saplings in an arch-shaped tract at the National Sandalwood Garden.
The event highlighted a commitment to environmental sustainability and was organized as part of the #Plant4Mother campaign, launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on World Environment Day 2024. Prime Minister Modi initiated the campaign on June 5, 2024, by planting a Bodhi Tree sapling at Buddha Jayanti Park in New Delhi, urging everyone in India and abroad to join the movement. In India, the campaign aims to plant 800 million trees by September 2024 and 1.4 billion trees by March 2025, following a ‘whole of Government’ and ‘whole of society’ approach.
The inauguration of the ‘Sri Lanka–India Friendship Arch’ is a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two nations, reflecting a shared vision to strengthen and deepen bilateral relations for mutually beneficial and sustainable economic growth.
Colombo
08 August 2024
