Diamond jubilee of Sri Lanka-German dpl ties celebrated

Prof. Preethi de Silva at the piano	Honorary Consul Olaf C. Ellerbrock

The Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in Hamburg, Olaf C. Ellerbrock and the Ambassador for Sri Lanka in Germany Sarrath Kongahage had organised a concert, with Preethi de Silva at the Mirror Hall of the University of Music and Performing Arts, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Germany.

In his welcome speech, Ellerbrock briefly recapitulated the beginning of the sixty years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He will be serving as an 'ambassador' for 40 years in Hamburg and Schleswig -Holstein in the year 2014. "So, I 'm definitely the most senior member of the diplomatic corps in Hamburg or may be even in Germany," he added.

The traditional family company of Haelssen & Lyon was founded in 1879. "We buy tea where it grows and sell it where it does not grow. With its 'Ceylon Tea', Sri Lanka is at the top," said Ellerbrock, whose tea trading company with 450 employees, is one of the leading tea trading companies in Germany and in Europe.

The internationally renowned and successful Sri Lankan-American cembalist Prof. Preethi de Silva was the musical star guest at the event. She delighted the gathering with her excellent harpsichord performance.

Culinary delights were served after the musical by the Anglo-German Club's Gerald Putter a gastronome of repute and his team. The guests included members of the consular corps and the Hamburg land parliament as well as Sri Lankan expatriates in Hamburg.

The distinguished gathering