Japanese city of Maebashi gifts fire engine to Sri Lanka

Mayor of the City of Maebashi and officials in discussion with the delegation from Sri Lanka about the fire engine before the formal gifting ceremony

The City of Maebashi in the Prefecture of Gunma-Ken of Japan donated a fire engine to the Ministry of Finance recently. 

The gifting ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Maebashi Ryu Yamamoto and senior officials of the Municipal Council of Maebashi; Most Venerable Banagala Upatissa Priest, Chief Incumbent and President of Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka and Shukyo Hojin Lankaji Temple of Japan; Dr. A. Saj U Mendis, Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan and other well-wishers including Buddhi Lesley Vernon, a longtime resident of the city of Maebashi. 

At the gifting ceremony, the Mayor of Maebashi stated that the fire engine, which is state of the art, would enhance the safety and security of the landscape of the city of Colombo as well as of the suburbs of Colombo.

Dr. Mendis, Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy, stated that Japan and Sri Lanka had maintained most cordial relations for well over six decades and Japan has assisted Sri Lanka, consistently and continuously, thus making a positive and tangible impingement in the developmental process of the country, over the years. 

Most Venerable Banagala Priest, who was instrumental in effecting the gifting of the said fire engine, along with Lesley Vernon, also underscored the magnanimous and generous gestures extended by Japan over the years to Sri Lanka, which have deepened, widened, strengthened and elevated the bilateral relations between the two countries to an unprecedented level.

The ceremony was attended by a number of Sri Lankans domiciled in the region of Tokyo and the Prefecture of Gunma in Japan. After the ceremony, the Mayor of Maebashi and senior officials hosted a luncheon reception for the invitees and participants.