Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Cuba, Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne (Retd), called on the President of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, on 24 July 2024 at the President’s office in Revolution Square. The meeting was to commemorate the 65th anniversary of establishing the bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and Cuba. On 29 July 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka, published a full report on the meeting with the details of the discussions between the dignitaries.
President Miguel recalled the visit of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to the G77 Summit in 2023 and cherished the successful relationship between the two nations. He also thanked Sri Lanka for its support in various international fora. President Miguel expressed gratitude for the donation of 150 coconut seeds by Sri Lanka and requested the country’s further cooperation to develop Cuba’s coconut industry. The coconut industry has flourished in the last few years due to the fruit’s versatility in various sectors like medicine, livestock, agriculture, and handicrafts. According to industry experts, the coconut business is anticipated to reach eight billion dollars by 2030 and grow 8.4 per cent between 2023 and 2030.
On his part, Ambassador Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne conveyed Sri Lanka’s regards to Cuba. He especially expressed gratitude for Cuba’s timely medical support to Sri Lanka during COVID-19 and the Tsunami. The Ambassador also appreciated the Cuban government’s fully funded scholarships to medical students from Sri Lanka every year. He noted that the ties between Cuban and Sri Lankan people and government are strong despite the geographical distance between the two countries.
Ambassador Ulugetenne reiterated Sri Lanka’s eagerness to establish trade relations with Cuba. He informed me that a Sri Lankan company has already submitted two investment proposals in the tourism sector to the Cuban government. The Ambassador informed the President about his meeting with CubaPharma, a government pharmaceutical research institution. He assured the President that he would strive to strengthen the trade and bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and Cuba during his diplomatic tenure.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Havana will organise a ceremony to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Cuba and Sri Lanka at Hotel Nacional on 6 August 2024. President Miguel assured high-level representation from the Cuban side at the ceremony.
The diplomatic relations between Cuba and Sri Lanka were established in July 1959 during a visit by commander Ernesto Che Guevara to Sri Lanka after the Cuban revolution. Since then, both countries have maintained cordial relations with each other. The last meeting was also highly successful and productive.
