Two new stamps issued to mark 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with Singapore

By Ifham Nizam

The Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Posts of Sri Lanka yesterday issued two new postage stamps in the denominations of Rs. 15.00 and Rs. 45.00 and a souvenir sheet to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Sri Lanka – Singapore diplomatic relations.

The joint stamp release ceremony took place at the Foreign Ministry in Colombo with the participation of the Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, joining virtually.

The two stamps were designed under the theme “Marine Conservation” to showcase the restoration of the Coral Ecosystem in Sri Lanka, and Mangroves in Singapore. They reflect the shared interest and commitment of both countries in protecting the marine environment.

Addressing the gathering, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena recalled the long standing friendly relations between the two countries.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan spoke of the cooperation between the two countries, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event was attended by the former Sri Lanka High Commissioners who served in Singapore, Chitranganee Wagiswara, Nimal Weerarathna, Ferial Ashraff and Hony. Consul of Singapore in Sri Lanka Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa, Singaporean business community in Sri Lanka, Secretary of the Ministry of Mass Media, Officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Department of Posts.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, a ceremony was held at Shangri La a few hours prior to the Colombo event where High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore Sashikala Premawardhane and Non-Resident High Commissioner of Singapore Chandra Das unveiled the two stamps in the presence of Director-General of the South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Gilbert Oh. Deputy Director of Postal & Consumer Policy, Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) Ruth Wong, and Vice President Philately & Stamps Peggy Teo together with several other officials of MFA, IMDB, SingPost and the High Commission of Sri Lanka.

 Singapore has supported many initiatives taken in Sri Lanka to build up its infrastructure and services. Singapore is at present the fifth largest investment partner in Sri Lanka. Singapore has invested a total of USD 786 million in Sri Lanka during the period 2005 – 2019. Around 100 Singaporean businesses that operate in Sri Lanka are involved in various sectors such as manufacturing, real estate, and infrastructure development.

Recent bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Singapore have been excellent with frequent high level engagement.