Adress by Her Majesty the Queen at the dinner on the occasion of the official visit of the President of the Democratic Socialistic Republic of Sri Lanka, mrs. Kumaratunga, to the Netherlands, March 19th, 2001.
Madam President,
It gives my family and me great pleasure to warmly welcome you here in our midst. We are also happy to be able to receive for the first time the head of state of a country linked to ours by historical ties of unusually long standing. This shared history is a special aspect of our relations, which will certainly receive particular attention when we commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of our relationship in the year two thousand and two. Your coming to the Netherlands is nòw already focusing attention on this meeting point in the history our two countries share.
We are likewise pleased that yòu, Madam President, are paying this visit. For yòur family has played an important role in the recent history of Sri Lanka. Your presidency represents the continuation of a tradition that at the same time imposes on you an onerous task. The persistent internal conflicts with which Sri Lanka wrestles have, sadly, more than once seriously affected your personal, as well as your political, life. It is all the more remarkable that you have always been ready to serve your country in this responsible position.
For a long time now your country has borne the heavy burden of deep division between different population groups. This is still a serious obstacle to Sri Lanka in its progress towards prosperity and well-being, which could have taken place in normal circumstances. Indeed, many people still remember that at the time of the Colombo Plan your country's potential, in terms of knowledge and infrastructure, formed a significant inspiration for the future course of development in the Asian states. At that time people even looked to your country as an example. Not only the ongoing internal problems but also the recent Asian crisis have impeded this development. Now, however, everyone's hopes are set on an early resumption of peace negotiations, on the plans your government recently drew up for administrative autonomy, and "relief, rehabilitation and reconciliation", and above all on the modernisation project you yourself launched not long ago, known as: the second wave of reforms. The Netherlands expects much of this and hopes to be able to support you in this process in the years to come.
Your country has played an extremely active part in the efforts to establish effective links in the field of trade and economic cooperation in South Asia. Western Europe, which has already taken a similar path, is following these endeavours with interest.
Despite all the problems it faces, Sri Lanka devotes a great deal of attention to the protection of the environment. The careful management of wetlands and the preservation of biological diversity in coastal areas are tasks to which your government accords a high priority. Our country greatly admires the sense of responsibility to which this bears witness.
Madam President,
A particular detail that Sri Lanka and the Netherlands have in common is that Dutch burghers live in both countries. They represent, as it were, the four centuries on which our two nations can look back together. One of these burghers, the Reverend Philip Baldaeus, wrote in his book "A Description of Ceylon", published in sixteen seventy-two, that it was considered a good omen in those days to encounter a laden elephant or camel. It had to be heavily laden, since an animal without a burden was not a favourable sign. Nowadays, we prefer our burdens to be light, but many people still feel the need for good omens. We trust, Madam President, that your second term in office may be regarded as a good omen for Sri Lanka.
May I invite all those present to join me in a toast to your health, Madam President, and to peace and prosperity for the Sri Lankan people, with whom we have been linked for almost four hundred years.