Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called for a new economic and political order to be established between the countries of the Bay of Bengal to rebuild the Indian Ocean region and bring prosperity to Sri Lanka.
“We cannot hope for a Union like in Europe as Asia is too vast a region. But we have been trading and living together for centuries and it is through our wealth that Europe and Britain prospered through. We need to use that in our present and build our own countries”, the Prime Minister said speaking at the launch of the book ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe-A Political Biography’, written by Dinesh Weerakkody.
The Prime Minister also explained that there was greater scope for India and Sri Lanka to further improve relations and there was no reason for Sri Lankans to fear ETCA, “There will be no takeover of our economy. It will be a win-win situation for both.
And we have a program for Sri Lankan businesses. We need to become an export hub of the Indian Ocean”, he said. The launch of the book held at BMICH had the participation of President Maithripala Sirisena, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, former Indian Minister and current Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs Shashi Tharoor as chief guest, MPs and other dignitaries.
As the event spoke of the Prime Ministers many achievements in politics, Premier Wickremesinghe himself recalled an interview of former President J.R.Jayewardene, “he was asked how he came to be President of Sri Lanka and to this he replied, ‘I survived all my contemporaries’”, the Prime Ministeradded, “thus patience is a virtue”.
The four time Prime Minister having started his career as the youngest Deputy Minister in government, observed, “If you look at Sri Lankan politics today, Game of Thrones is kid’s play and survival has become an art in diplomacy and politics”.