President returns after successful tour in Cuba and Brazil

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has arrived in Sri Lanka early Sunday after completing a successful tour in Cuba and Brazil where he participated in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), Rio+20 held in Rio de Janeiro.

During his tour in Cuba prior to the Rio+20 summit, the President met with the Cuban Leader Raul Castro and held discussions to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

The President also took time to visit the home of revolutionary leader Che Guevara in Havana and met with his widow and children.

President Rajapaksa, who arrived in Brazil on Tuesday (19) addressed the Rio+20 summit on Wednesday (20).

Addressing the United Nations largest conference on green economy and sustainable development, President Rajapaksa called for the developed countries which largely contributed to the environmental crisis to take responsibility of saving the environment and not leave it to the developing nations at the cost of their development.  

On the sidelines of the green summit, the President met several world leaders to apprise them of the present situation in Sri Lanka and encourage them to enhance the bilateral ties in various sectors including trade, technology and agriculture.  Among the world leaders President met during the summit were, his Chilean counterpart President Sebastian Pinera Echenique, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonpo Jigme Thinley, Prime Minister of Nepal Baburam Bhattarai, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his Hungarian counterpart President Janos Ader and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

With his Chilean counterpart, the President had at length discussed the Chilean canned fish industry and its technical application and feasibility concerning Sri Lanka while he held lengthy discussions with the Indian prime Minister on the political solution in Sri Lanka and the Indian government funded projects.

Ministers Prof. G.L. Peiris, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Wimal Weerawansa, Patali Champika Ranawaka and Mahinda Amaraweera, Deputy Minister Nirupama Rajapaksa, Parliamentarian Sajin Vaas Gunawardena and President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga have accompanied the President in his South American tour.