This was stated when the Ambassador of Netherlands Bonnie Horbach called on him at the Temple Trees in Colombo today (Sept 9). She said  as a person coming from a country with immense experience in water management, she was amazed at the Sri Lanka’s ancient irrigational systems that include long canals and tanks. “Dutch are experts in water management, but Sri Lanka’s comprehensive system of water management pre-dates us by far,” she commented.

The Prime Minister thanked her for arranging the return of valuable artefacts taken during the Dutch rule to Sri Lanka and for the assistance provided to the National Museum in Colombo for their display and preservation under special care.

Ambassador Horbach said Netherlands provided scholarships for post-graduate studies to archaeology students from Sri Lanka. The Netherlands is also assisting the Archive Department of Sri Lank for preservation of ancient manuscripts.

She praised the progress made in the last two years in the country and the efforts taken to solve the issues of the people in the north and east. “The efforts taken to ensure all are equal partners of the development are progressing well and we earnestly hope this process will continue uninterrupted under a stable government,” she said.

Parliamentarian Yadamini Gunawardena and Secretary to the Prime Minister, Anura Dissanayake were also present during this discussion.