UN General Assembly
1981

On behalf of the Government and people of Sri Lanka, I extend to you, Mr. President, our congratulations on your election to the presidency of the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly. Our commitment to cooperating fully with you and our pleasure at your election are both manifest. We come from the same region of the world and me heirs to similar traditions. Our two nations view many international issues in the same perspective. More intimately, we are aware of your personal attributes. As fellow members of the nonaligned movement we have been able on numerous occasions to observe and take pleasure in your dedication to our founding principles and your skill. We are confident that those attributes will benefit the Assembly and, through it, the global community as a whole.