Sri Lanka participates in German Open Day

"The Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany had an "Open Day" under the slogan of "Developers of the Future" to provide an opportunity to the German public to obtain comprehensive information in bilateral relations of Germany with partner countries and cultural specifics and tourism aspects of partner countries," a media release stated.

State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) of Germany, Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz and Ambassador Sarath Kongahage at the Open Day celebretions

At the entrance to the Sri Lankan Stall

Sri Lanka as an important development cooperation partner of Germany had a stall depicting tourism and exports and also participated in the stage performance reflecting the rich culture of Sri Lanka.

The embassy showcased the distinctive diversity, compactness and the rich cultural heritage of Sri Lanka and promoted Sri Lanka as a destination for tourism trade and investment.

The stall for Sri Lanka turned into a mini Sri Lanka and showcased artefacts, handicrafts and samples of Sri Lankan cinnamon and tea.

The participation of Sri Lanka in the stage performance provided the audience the chance to get to know the classical dances of Sri Lanka.

The outstanding traditional Kandyian dance "Gajaga Wannama" (dance of elephants) performed by Ms. Almut Jayaweera received a special attention of the audience and they were enchanted by the unique rhythm and traditional costume. Ms. Jayaweera, a German national, stayed in Sri Lanka for five years to learn the Kandyan dance, is presently teaching and performing Kandyan dance in Germany.

The folk dance "Diya Keliya" performed by Anjali Dissanayake and Malki Dilshani depicting the scene of rural women having a bath in a river as well as singer Prabath Rupasinghe performing well-known Sri Lankan songs received applause. Athula Dissanayake, a renowned artist also received accolades. Presenting Sri Lankan tea was a magnet pulling the huge crowd towards the Sri Lanka tea stall. Many visitors were happy to have a refreshing cup of tea served at the stall.

The State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) of Germany, Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz, also visited the Sri Lankan stall. He recalled his visit to Sri Lanka, and said that he cherished the beauty of Sigiriya.

Ambassador Sarath Kongahage thanked the State Secretary for the opportunity given by the Ministry to promote Sri Lankan culture and products. During the day, he also met many personalities from the German political fraternity and Ambassadors of other countries.