Cuba-Lanka ties to be strengthened

by Ananda Kannangara

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said the economic and social bonds between Sri Lanka and Cuba which had existed for decades, will be strengthened in the years to come.

He was speaking at the sixth Asia Pacific Regional Conference for Solidarity with Cuba, in Colombo yesterday.

The conference was organised by the National Preparatory Committee, chaired by Water Resources and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardane. Over 115 delegates from 22 countries participated in the conference.

The objective of the conference was to strengthen solidarity with Cuba which is facing harassment from the US that has imposed an economic blockade against Cuba for the last 50 years.

The United Nations General Assembly has, for the last 20 years, called for the lifting of this blockade, while Sri Lanka too has consistently voted for the resolution in the UN General Assembly calling for an end to the blockade.

Speaker Rajapaksa highlighted the close co-operation between the two countries and said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa too has a high regard for Cuba and the two governments are currently maintaining a strong relationship.