Colombo: The Australian High Commission in Colombo hosted a celebration on Monday to mark the Australian National Day, which falls on 26 January. The event was graced by the presence of the Minister of Health and Mass Media Hon. Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa, who attended as the Chief Guest.

According to Ministry of Defence – Sri Lanka, the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) and the Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) were present as Guests of Honour. The gathering took place at the Australian High Commissioner’s residence, where the High Commissioner H.E. Paul Stephens welcomed the distinguished guests. In his opening remarks, the High Commissioner emphasized the strong bilateral ties between Australia and Sri Lanka, grounded in shared values and sustainable development.

The event saw the attendance of senior ministry officials, commanders of the Sri Lanka Army and Navy, the Chief of National Intelligence, the Vice Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, members of the diplomatic corps, and a group of distinguished guests.