KLF meets SL envoy; proposes five areas for Odisha-Lanka cooperation

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

New Delhi, Aug 19:

In its first-ever meeting with its new ex-officio patron-in-chief, Prof. Sudharshan Seneviratne, High Commisioner of Sri Lanka in India, a delegation of Kalinga Lanka Foundation raised five-key issues of mutual cooperation between Odisha and Sri Lanka.

The delegation, led by Debi Prasad Bagchi, former chief secretary of Odisha, apprised the High Commissioner of the opportunities in Odisha and highlighted five key areas of possible cooperation: tourism promotion, education and skill development, joint research on the Buddhist heritage of ancient Kalinga, trade relations in textile, gems and jewellery and development of art and culture.

The other members, who accompanied Bagchi in the delegation, are distinguished painter Jatin Das, former country manager of Sri Lankan Airlines Roshan Wijesekara, Odissi guru and dance exponent Alpana Nayak, leading hotelier Harihar Patra and PR and Travel Consultant Sameer Kumar Das.

Kalinga Lanka Foundation, the Delhi/NCR based cultural organization, was launched on 29th May 2014 by Prasad Kariyawasam, the then High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in India ( presently the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in USA) and Ambassador Lalit Mansingh, former foreign secretary of Indi,a who is also the founder president of the organization.

Founded by like-minded people from Odisha and Sri Lanka, the objective of Kalinga Lanka Foundation is to revive the ancient trade and cultural linkages between the two regions.

The Foundation intends to open its branches at Bhubaneswar and Colombo soon.