COLOMBO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed officials to organize celebrations of the country's 75th Independence Day next year in a cost-effective manner, the President's Media Division (PMD) said on Thursday.
The instructions were given during the first meeting of the 75th Independence Day Commemoration Committee held at the President's Office, the PMD said in a statement.
According to Wickremesinghe's instructions, Sri Lanka's official celebration of the 75th Independence Day on Feb. 4, 2023 will be held in the evening at Galle Face in the captial Colombo.
Apart from parades and ceremonies involving the armed forces and the police, the president said that cultural elements that showcase Sri Lanka's national pride and youth-friendly elements should be included.
Wickremesinghe also said these events need to be organized in a way that the public can participate and enjoy them, according to the PMD statement.
It was also decided to invite foreign ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries as special guests in the celebration, said the statement.
The SAARC, established in 1985, groups Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. ■