Parliamentary delegation meets Palestinian FM

Saturday, 22 October 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A Sri Lankan Parliamentary delegation headed by Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, President of the Sri Lanka-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Association, met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine Dr. Riyad Al-Malki.

The delegation included members of the Sri Lankan Parliament, Bimal Rathnayake, Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana, K. Kader Masthan, S. Sivamohan, and the Representative of Sri Lanka in Palestine M. Fawzan Anver.

Dr. Al-Malki welcomed the delegation, expressing the thanks of Palestine to Sri Lanka’s people and its leadership, Government and Parliament, and for the historical support to the Palestinian people and their struggle to achieve their rights and getting their freedom and self-determination. Al-Malki has hailed the depth of relations between Palestine and Sri Lanka, where he discussed with Dr. Senaratne and the accompanying delegation the ways to develop relations at all levels to serve the interests of the two friendly countries and their peoples. Al-Malki stressed on the important role they can play in the Sri Lankan political support for the Palestinian cause in all regional and international forums. He thanked President Maithripala Sirisena and Fawzan Anver, Representative of Sri Lanka in Palestine for Sri Lanka’s financial contribution to support the reform of the Embassy of the State of the Palestine, in addition to the granted piece of land to the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Colombo.

A Palestinian-Sri Lankan Parliamentary Friendship Committee was formed on 17 April this year. Al-Malki has briefed the Sri Lankan Parliamentary delegation about the political and diplomatic developments in the Palestinian arena. Dr. Al-Malki And Dr. Senaratne also discussed ways to ensure the success of political consultations to be held between the two countries in the foreseeable future meeting, and they also discussed the possibility of bilateral visits to encourage, tourism and religious tourism to, as well as commercial exchanges, mutual investments, and the exchange of business visits, while al-Malki added that Palestine can put all its capabilities and expertise in agriculture, medicine and high-tech fields in the interests of the two friendly service.

Dr. Senaratne thanked Dr. Al-Malki for the fully detailed explanation about the situation experienced by Palestinians. He also spoke about the historical relationship between Palestine and Sri Lanka and that Sri Lanka always supported the Palestinian people and their rights in all international forums, organisations and bodies. The meeting was attended by the high officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine along with the delegation.