Sri Lanka, Oct. 1 -- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that children are the nation's most valuable resource and that protecting their lives is a government's primary responsibility.

The President issued a message today to mark The World Children's Day.

The message states:

"Children are the nation's most valuable resource. Therefore, protecting their lives is a government's primary responsibility. The future of the country will be shaped by the dreams, aspirations and creativity of its children. Therefore, the country we build for children should not simply be a country prepared to be handed over to them tomorrow. It must be a country that, from today itself, creates an environment where their dreams are given space, their voices...