The Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka on Jan. 22 hosted a get-together to welcome the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) festival in the capital city of Colombo.

The event was attended by Deputy External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka Neomal Perera, representatives from the Sri Lanka–Vietnam Solidarity Association, embassies and foreign delegations of other countries in Colombo and Vietnamese students studying in the country.

Addressing the gathering, Vietnamese Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh reviewed the outstanding achievements in all fields that Vietnam made in 2011, saying that the year saw Vietnam overcoming many difficulties and developing sustainably.

Vietnam further cooperated with many countries, contributing to peace, stability and development in the world, Thanh said.

2011 also marked an important phase in the Vietnam-Sri Lanka relations with the re-opening of the Vietnamese representative office in Colombo and President Truong Tan Sang’s official visit to Sri Lanka in October, which opened a new opportunity for the two countries to promote multifaceted cooperation, he added.

On the occasion, the ambassador called upon the Vietnamese community in Sri Lanka to make more contributions to fostering the traditional relationship between the two countries.

During the get-together, participants enjoyed a special musical performance and traditional dishes./.