Embassy of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka & Maldives

Wishing you a happy and peaceful Vesak!

We are preparing for Vesak by making the traditional Vesak lanterns! Vesak is the top most Buddhist festival which is celebrated across Sri Lanka during the Full Moon Day of the month of May

Dutch envoy opens Digital Resource Centre for tea

In commemoration of International Tea Day, the newly established Digital Resource Center at the Ratnasiri Wickramanayake National Training Centre in Hantana, Kandy, was officially inaugurated on Wednesday by the Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka Iwan Rutjens.

Full story :- https://tinyurl.com/sxasrky4

Acting Ambassador Iwan Rutjens inaugurated the newly established Digital Resource Center at the Ratnasiri Wickremanayake National Training Centre in Hantana, Kandy.

The event was organized by the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority representing 400,000 members in cooperation with Dutch NGO Solidaridad and the Nucleus Foundation.

The Center is financed with a grant from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was followed by a networking reception attended by the representatives from the government, counterparts, and key stakeholders.

Last Wednesday, 13th May, Acting Ambassador Iwan Rutjens was invited as Guest of Honour at the inauguration of the ‘Whose Law’ Research Conference, organized by the University of Colombo.

The ‘Whose Law Research Conference: Addressing Injustice in the Entangled Histories of Sri Lanka-The Netherlands and Advancing the Practices of Provenance Research’ which took place from 13-15 May in Colombo, is part of the Dutch Research Council (NWO) grant awarded to the University of Colombo, in collaboration between the Vrije University Amsterdam, the World Museum Leiden, and the Netherlands-Sri Lanka Foundation.

Speaking to a distinguished audience, Acting Ambassador Rutjens stressed the Netherland’s commitment to addressing injustices during the colonial period. Referring to the 2023 restitution, he stated that Sri Lankan objects should never have been in the Netherlands and that the current project will greatly support this discourse.

The keynote speech was delivered by Prof. Wouter Veraat, Faculty of Law, University of Amsterdam. Other dignitaries included Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Arun Hemachandra, Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs Hon. Muneer Mulaffer, Hon. Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo Prof. Indika Karunathilake, Head of Collections at National Museum of Ethnology Leiden Ms. Cindy Zalm, Prof. Nira Wickramasinghe, Mr. Dilip Tambyrajah, Prof. Sampath Punchihewa, and Prof. Naazima Kamardeen.

Ms. Arundathy Gunawardena, a former colleague who served as the Secretary to several former Dutch Ambassadors presented her latest book “Diplomatic Support and Protocol ” to Ambassador Wiebe de Boer.

During her retirement, Arundathy has continued her passion for writing and has authored four books mainly on spiritual awakening. Her publications also included a children’s book.

In the new book, she reflects her professional experience, wealth of knowledge and valued insights into working in the diplomatic sector as locally engaged staffer.

Ever since the end of the Second World War, the Netherlands has been commemorating its dead on May 4th. As from 1961, the Dutch victims of the Second World War, including 102,000 Dutch Jews, as well as countless members of other persecuted minorities, are remembered together with Dutch victims of other conflicts, wars and peacekeeping missions that have taken place since the outbreak of the Second World War in the Netherlands. Today, on Remembrance Day, we also commemorate all Dutch victims of war resting in Sri Lankan soil, civilians and soldiers. On the Commonwealth War Graves section at the Jawatta cemetery, Acting Ambassador Mr. Iwan Rutjens paid tribute to the 36 Dutch victims resting in Sri Lankan soil.

On , we salute the brave journalists who risk everything to bring us the truth. They are the backbone of free societies.