Siri Lanka and Cuba

Colombo, Dec 26 (PL) Sri Lanka's new Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamagem, today expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with Cuba in the sports sphere.

In a meeting in Colombo with the Cuban ambassador, Andres Gonzalez, Kumara Gamagem learned about the sports development achieved by the Caribbean island after the Triumph of the Revolution on January 1, 1959.

Gonzalez explained to the Sri Lankan minister about the massive expansion of sports, as well as the important achievements of his country in regional and world competitions.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Ministers for Youth Eranga Gunasekara and for Sports, Sugath Thilakarathne, and Maribel Duarte Gonzalez, First Secretary of the Cuban Embassy.

Cuba and Sri Lanka celebrate this year the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Every year, Cuba awards fully funded scholarships to young Sri Lankans to study medicine.

Recently, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Foreign Employment, Vijitha Herath, and the Cuban ambassador agreed on the interest of continuing to strengthen the historic relations between their countries.

After being elected President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake ratified to his Cuban counterpart, Miguel Díaz-Canel, the intention to work together in pursuit of world peace and justice.

In a message in response to Diaz-Canel's good wishes for Dissanayake's new administration as head of state, the Sri Lankan president thanked his Cuban counterpart for his support in building a solid relationship between the two countries.