Excellencies,

My Fellow Ambassadors and Colleagues,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Salamun Aleykum and Mingalabar to everyone who has gathered here tonight for the traditional Eid-al-Fitr Dinner.

I am very happy to be here with all of you. I would like to thank the organizers who have brought us all together this evening. I am especially happy to see so many friends from all religions, all communities and organizations, all walks of life, who are here, celebrating together.We have just concluded the Holy Month of Ramadan and celebrated Eid. I wish Eid Mubarak to all of you.

Each person experiences Ramadan in his or her own way. For me, Ramadan is not only about the physical experience of fasting. Ramadan for me is also a period ofreflection. During Ramadan, I try to understand better the real essence ofpatience, gratitude, discipline, kindness, tolerance and respect.

The spirit ofRamadan can be best expressed in a single word: sharing. Sharing is what makes Ramadana special time. Sharing that is symbolized by coming together at iftar dinnerwith guests, relatives, neighbors and friends. Sharing of God’s gifts by richand poor, young and old, men and women.

We have manychallenges in the world today. Terrorism, extremism, poverty, inequality,conflict over resources. But I would argue that the most serious danger facinghumanity today is intolerance. We must all join hands to defeat intolerance inall its forms and manifestations. Countries and civilizations and individuals cancontinue to progress and prosper only through dialogue and tolerance and asense of unity for peace and humanity.Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitrshow us a way for how we can achieve this: by embracing all human beings asbrothers and sisters and putting all quarrels aside.

All of us share this world for a brief moment in time. The question is if wespend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or if we commit ourselves tofind common ground, to work for the future we want for our children, and torespect the dignity of all human beings.

Myanmar is anethnically and religiously diverse society. The people of Myanmar are familiarwith the concepts of tolerance, respect and compassion. There is a heritage inthis country of sharing the joy and the needs of others. People of differentreligions have succeeded in living in harmony and peace for centuries in this beautifulcountry. Myanmar is known as the Golden Land. And it is true that Myanmar isthe Golden Land. For it is a very rich country. And its richness stems from itsdiversity.

It is easier tosee what is different about someone than to find the things we share in common. But forward-looking men and women everywhere should choose the right path, notjust the easy path. And the right path is built on dialogue, toleranceand inclusiveness.

When I look out at all of you, all the colors of Myanmar, assembled here tonight, I am optimistic for the future of this country.And a special reason for my optimism is you, the business community, the entrepreneurs. The spirit that drives you and that brought you here tonight is the engine that will help build a better tomorrow for your families, for your neighbors, for your fellow citizens.

It is through the efforts of all of you that Myanmar will continue to walkin the direction of democracy, progress, openness, and, most importantly,inclusiveness. And be assured that Turkey will stand with the people of Myanmar as you goforward in this path.

Let me conclude by thanking all of you for being here. I am inspired to behere among you and I look forward to getting to know you closely in my timehere.The promise of this country is unlimited.We must all worktogether to achieve that promise.

Thank you.