COLOMBO, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Two Sri Lankan nationals, Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala and Johann Peries will begin their final ascend to summit Mount Everest this week, becoming the country's first to reach the highest peak in the world, a statement said here on Monday.

A statement released by the team's group said the duo will begin their final ascend, leaving Everest Base Camp on Monday and are expected to summit on May 21.  The summit will set a record in the island country as no Sri Lankan has ever reached the peak of Mount Everest.

Sri Lanka's Tourism Minister John Amaratunga told Xinhua that the country was eagerly awaiting all information on the duo and the Sri Lankan government wished them well.

"This is an honour and prestige to the whole country as Jayanthi and Johann will be the first Sri Lankans to summit the highest peak in the world. While we wish them the best of luck, we are also closely following their health conditions," Amaratunga said.

Jayanthi and Johann have been training in the Himalayas since early April. They have spent the past month on Mount Everest, completing strenuous training at extreme high altitudes, including trekking up and down between Base Camp and three camps which are located at higher altitudes.

This has involved a number of climbs across the extremely treacherous Khumbu Icefall, a continually shifting glacier, and ice climbing up the arduous, vertical Lhotse Face, an ice wall just below Camp 3.

In climbing to Camp 3, the duo have both reached the highest altitude they have ever trekked.

"I have a great sense of achievement for what we have already done but I am eagerly awaiting the next step, the final push to the summit," Johann, quoted in the statement said.

"Our acclimatization rotations were successful, although they were the toughest things we've both ever done. I'm now looking forward to taking the Sri Lankan flag and waving it from the highest point in the world together with Johann," Jayanthi said.

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world with an official height of 8,848 m (29,029 ft above sea level) as recognized by China and Nepal.

The height was established by a 1955 Indian survey and subsequently confirmed by a Chinese survey in 1975.