Sri Lanka, Feb. 4 -- The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday congratulated the people of Sri Lanka on behalf of the United States of America, as the island nation celebrates its 77th Independence Day.

Issuing a statement, Marco Rubio highlighted that in the 77 years since Sri Lanka claimed its independence, both countries have developed a strong and mutually beneficial partnership built on the cornerstone of people-to-people ties and shared democratic values.

"In the year ahead, we look forward to increasing trade and investment between our countries and strengthening our security cooperation to advance stability and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific region", the US Secretary of State noted.

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