Sri Lanka and Cuba celebrate 65 years of friendship and cooperation

Sri Lanka, one of the first countries to recognize the Cuban Government in 1959 after the triumph of the Revolution led by Fidel Castro, on Wednesday reaffirmed its willingness to promote relations of friendship and cooperation.

Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara’s visit to Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, in August 1959 as a special envoy of the Cuban Government “paved the way for a lasting relationship between the two countries,” this country’s Ambassador to Cuba, Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne said. Speaking at an anniversary ceremony at Hotel Nacional de Cuba’s 1930 Hall on Tuesday evening, the diplomat affirmed that after 65 years, the two countries “continue enjoying the excellent bilateral relations, and cooperate and exchange views in several international forums, including the United Nations.”

Havana established its embassy in Colombo in 1960, while the Sri Lankan authorities did so in 1987.

Among the guests were Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio; the deputy ministers of Foreign Trade and Investment, and Higher Education; Fernando Gonzalez, President of the Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), and other officials and representatives of the diplomatic corps.

The Ambassador highlighted Cuba’s friendship and generosity in Sri Lanka’s most critical moments, such as the 2004 tsunami when that nation sent a team of doctors to work in the most devastated places.

He recalled other moments when Cuban cooperation was present to help the Sri Lankan people, such as the contingent of doctors that Havana sent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This was another example of Cuba’s commitment to humanity in a time of need and true friendship between the two countries,” said Ulugetenne, who also praised the scholarships that young Sri Lankans receive to train as professionals in Cuba.

Deputy Foreign Minister Fernandez de Cossio, in turn, reaffirmed Cuba’s commitment to continue training human resources for Sri Lanka.

During the ceremony, audio-visual material recounted iconic moments of the relations during the 65 years since the visit of Che Guevara, who planted a mahogany tree as a token of friendship, which currently grows robust and lush at a park in Colombo.