We firmly believe that under the wise leadership of Mr President, the Government and people of Sri Lanka will score greater success in national reconstruction, building and development, turning Sri Lanka into a strong and prosperous nation in the region with an enhanced role and position in the world, the Vietnamese President Troung Tan Sang said.

The visiting Vietnamese President recalling age old friendship between the two countries and appreciated during the banquet hosted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Janadhipathi Mandiraya in Colombo yesterday said Vietnam particularly value the strong support of the Government and people of Sri Lanka in Vietnam's bids to join Non-Aligned Movement.

Full text of the speech by Vietnamese President

Your Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Madam,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to visit the beautiful country of Sri Lanka for the first time. On behalf the high-level delegation of the Vietnamese State and on behalf of myself and wife, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. President and the people of Sri Lanka fro the warm reception and hospitality. I wish to thank Mr. President for your friendship and kind words towarsd the country and people of Vietnam.

The beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka with friendly people has always been a favourite destination of international tourirsts. It comes to my mind the words of admiration of Sri Lanka's beauty by a poet "I have lost my heart in the golden sand of Sri Lankan beach". Like Vietnam, Sri Lanka has a heroic and indomitable tradition of national building and protection. Sri Lanka was among the very first countries that played a very important role in establishing the Non-Aligned Movement - the solidarity of the third world countries. In the early 50s of the previous century, Sri Lanka has played an active role in the third world countries. It was one of the founders of the Bandung Conference in 1955 with the five principles of peaceful co-existence, which remain valid today.

On this occasion, I would like to congratulate Mr President and the people of Sri Lanka on the important achievements recorded in the past years. We firmly believe that under the wise leadership of Mr President, the Government and people of Sri Lanka will score greater success in national reconstruction, building and development, turning Sri Lanka into a strong and prosperous nation in the region with an enhanced role and position in the world.

Mr President and Madam,
Dear friends,

Vietnam and Sri Lanka enjoy fine traditional friendship. We always remember the movements organized by Sri Lankan people and efforts of their Government in support of the resistance war for national independence of Vietnam. We particularly value the strong support of the Government and people of Sri Lanka in Vietnam's bids to join Non-Aligned Movement, which we gained the membership in 1976 at its Fifth Summit. The two countries established consular relations with Vietnam inaugurating its Consulate General in Colombo in 1964. Sri Lanka was the first country in the South Asia to establish full diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) on 21 July, 1970.

We keep in our hearts the line of historical events in bilateral relations such as President Ho Chi Minh's three calls on his voyage for national salvation, the welcome of thousands of Sri Lankan people along the roads when Prime Minister Pham Van Dong visited Sri Lanka in 1978 following Vietnam's national reunification and the word by President Junius Richard Jayawardene "For Sri Lanka, all political parties and governments stand by Vietnam". And it gave us great pleasure to welcome Mr President and Madam during your state visit to Vietnam in October 2009.

Treasuring, preserving and promoting these fond memories, we are happy to note the continued expansion of traditional tied between Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

We hope that in addition to the deepening of good political relations, our twp countries will expand cooperation areas in economic-trade, investment, external affairs and defence, security. And our cooperation should be lifted up to the level of good political relations, to both sides' potential and to the level of the two peoples' expectations.

I take this opportunity to reaffirm Vietnam's consistent policy which is to always attach importance and and expand the traditional friendship and multisided cooperation with Sri Lanka. My visit with a high-level delegation is a vivid manifestation of that determination. We are very happy that Mr President and Sri Lankan people also share and agree with me on this line.

In the atmosphere of friendship today, I would like to invite Mr President, Madame and all distinguished guests to raise our glasses to:

- the good health of President and Madame
- to the ever growth of traditional friendship and multisided cooperation between Vietnam and Sri Lanka
- to Sri Lanka's greater achievements in building a prosperous nation with happy people
- to the good health of you all present here today.

Thank you very much.