UN General Assembly
2008

Sri Lanka congratulates the President on his election to this high office. We are confident that your guidance will enable the General Assembly to make progress on the important issues confronting humanity to make the work and role of the United Nations more relevant to the lives of billions of people. While my mother tongue is Sinhala, let me elaborate a few thoughts in Tamil. Sinhala and Tamil are the two languages of the people of Sri Lanka. Both have been used through the centuries, are rich in literature and are widely used in my country, with recognition as official languages. With the widening of democracy in our country, the bonds between the Sinhala and Tamil people of Sri Lanka will grow stronger and remain a major force for its future development. We will march towards a richer freedom and the lasting unity that await us as a nation. The theme of our debate — “The impact of the global food crisis on poverty and hunger in the world as well as the need to democratize the United