President Wickremesinghe holds bilateral talks with the Cuban President.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe recalled the history of bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and Cuba, particularly in multilateral forums, during his bilateral discussion with his Cuban counterpart Diaz-Cane Bermudez at the Palace of Revolution in Havana, reinforcing the bonds of friendship and dialogue between the two nations.

President Wickremesinghe embarked on an official visit to Cuba ahead of his participation in the G77 plus China Summit in Havana on September 15-16, hosted by Cuba as the current Chair of the G77 plus China.

Both nations have supported each other on issues like lifting sanctions against Cuba and human rights matters. They identified areas of future cooperation, including public health, agriculture, and sports.

President Dáz-Canel accepted President Wickremesinghe’s invitation to visit Sri Lanka in 2024, underscoring Cuba’s continued support for Sri Lanka. He also highlighted Cuba’s role in addressing North-South gaps in science, technology, and innovation, expressing willingness to share expertise, particularly in vaccine development.

The two leaders emphasised the importance of bolstering the relationship between their countries, focusing on collaboration in medicine, healthcare, sports training, and coconut cultivation. President Wickremesinghe expressed Sri Lanka’s commitment to supporting Cuba in international forums, while President Dáz-Canel assured support for Sri Lanka regarding human rights resolutions.