WP Governor congratulates Chinese astronauts

China's second manned space flight ended successfully on Monday as the Shenzhou VI craft returned to Earth, leading to patriotic celebrations and plans for an ambitious new mission in 2007.

In a congratulatory message Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana said that Sri Lanka joined the world in congratulating China.

"Sri Lanka is proud about the news of the successful space flight completed by the Chinese astronauts and Sri Lanka joins the world in congratulating their achievements", stated the message Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana, sent to Radio Beijing.

Governor Mowlana, one of the founder-members of the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association and one of the first Sri Lankans to have visited China since Sri Lanka and China established diplomatic relations said that he was happy to associate himself with the people of China who welcome their heroes.

"Sri Lanka and China has a five decade long friendship with the signing of the Rubber-Rice Pact in 1952 by one of my close associates, late Minister R.G. Senanayake. China is the pride of Asia and by her achievements she had shown that she is second to none. We congratulate the astronauts who took the bold step to enter the space odyssey of our times. Our heartfelt good wishes for their future endevours", the message of Governor Mowlana added.

The capsule carrying astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng parachuted softly onto a field in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia to bring their five-day mission to a close, the Xinhua news agency said.