Scott Morrison was speaking at a reception held in Colombo for the former Prime Minister hosted by Chairman and Founder of Fairfields Lawyers Don Susantha Katugampala.
Morrison, currently in Sri Lanka with his family, was also one of the high-profile speakers at the Sri Lanka Human Capital Summit 2024 held on Thursday.
Former Australian Prime Minister also said, “I think over a period of time when you have faced so many difficulties, to see the economy revive is a tremendous credit to Sri Lanka. You have a very important choice to make in the months ahead, and it is not for Australians to interfere in how you make that decision.”
“You are a great and vibrant democracy, and of that you should be immensely proud. But the work that is being done to bring stability back to Sri Lanka in the last couple of years since the economic crisis has been truly extraordinary.”
“It has been courageous. It has involved great sacrifices by the people of Sri Lanka and some courageous decision-making by your President, who came into that office in some ways reluctantly, but was the man for the time to come and step up for his country, as he has done many times before”.
Scott Morrison further said President Wickremesinghe’s leadership has helped Sri Lanka to overcome the crisis and to put Sri Lanka in a place where it can go forward.
The former Australian Premier also invited Australians to visit Sri Lanka while noting that they will be surprised about what they find.
“The diversity is exciting. The restaurants, the attractions, the cultural activities are very, very rich, and so when people come to Sri Lanka, and if you have come from Australia, I would encourage you to certainly go and experience what are the world-class resorts and attractions all around the country”.
Morrison also said there is a wonderful people-to-people relationship between Sri Lanka and Australia.
“It is warm, it is real, and it is across all the things we love, such as cricket, food, all of these things. Sri Lanka over the last 40 years has been through some of the most difficult times that any nation would ever have to confront.”
“Despite what is thrown at you, you love life, you love your families, you love your communities and you love your country. You stand by it, you stand by each other, you push through, and that’s what gives me a lot of optimism about Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka will rise again and be able to achieve great things”.
Don Susantha Katugampala said Morrison has done an amazing job for Australia, for its people, and the economy.
“So I thought that the experience is something that Sri Lanka should share. So I’m very grateful to Scott Morrison who has been an outstanding Immigration Minister, outstanding Finance Minister, Treasurer in Australian terms and the Prime Minister for agreeing to visit Sri Lanka because he has a passion for Sri Lanka. He felt that Sri Lanka is an important place and he says Sri Lanka matters”.
Katugampala said his firm Fairfields lawyers, specialising on migration matters based in Australia is celebrating 25 years of practice.
“You support us and we support you and also we support people. We support our countries. So please come to Australia if you have not been to Australia but never forget your country and support Sri Lanka,” he added.
The Tourism Board Chairman on behalf of the Ministry, former Navy Commander Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe and the Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Australia attended.
(dailynews.lk)