Sri Lanka, one of the first countries to recognise the Cuban government in 1959 after the triumph of the revolution led by Fidel Castro, reiterated today its willingness to promote ties of friendship and cooperation.
The visit in August 1959 to Sri Lanka, then called Ceylon, by Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara as a special envoy of the Cuban government, «laid the foundations for a lasting relationship between the two countries,» said the ambassador of that Indian Ocean island nation, Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne.
Addressing a commemoration ceremony last night in the 1930 Room of the iconic Hotel Nacional, the Head of Mission said that after 65 years the two countries «continue to enjoy excellent bilateral relations, and cooperate closely and exchange views in various international fora, including the United Nations».
Havana established its embassy in Colombo in 1960, while the Sri Lankan authority did so in 1987.
Among the guests were Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío, the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Trade and Investment and Higher Education, and the President of the Instituto de Amistad con los Pueblos, Fernando González, as well as other officials and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
The ambassador highlighted Cuba’s friendship and generosity at the most critical moments in Sri Lanka when, for example, during the 2004 tsunami – he recalled – it sent a team of doctors who worked in the places most destroyed by the devastating tidal wave.
He recalled other moments when Cuban collaboration was present to help the Sri Lankan people, such as the team of doctors that Havana sent to help during the Covid-19 pandemic.
«This was another example of Cuba’s commitment to humanity at 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 in Cuba as professionals.
For his part, Deputy Foreign Minister Fernández de Cossío reaffirmed Cuba’s commitment to continue training human resources for Sri Lanka.
«This effort symbolises the vocation of solidarity of the Cuban Revolution and the desire to continue building a future of cooperation and friendship,» the diplomat stressed.
At the ceremony, audiovisual material recounted iconic moments of the 65 years of ties since the visit of Che Guevara, who planted a mahogany tree as a token of friendship and today grows robust and lush in a park in Colombo.
