Sri Lanka’s President Dissanayake affirms ongoing support to Palestinian question

Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Thursday affirmed his country's ongoing support to the just Palestinian question. Speaking during a meeting with Palestine's Chargé d'Affaires Hisham Abu Taha at his office in Colombo, President Dissanayake affirmed that his country continues to support the just Palestinian question while pointing out that his political party remains a defender of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and that his country would continue to adopt this approach under his presidency until Palestinians realize their freedom. Palestine's Chargé d'Affaires Abu Taha congratulated President Dissanayake on winning the presidential elections and reaffirmed the deep historical Palestinian-Sri Lankan relations, expressing Palestine's appreciation to Sri Lanka for its unwavering support of Palestinians' rights, particularly during this critical juncture of their struggle. The Palestinian diplomat briefed President Dissanayake on the current grave situation in the occupied territ ories, especially in the war-torn Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to Israeli genocidal aggression since October 7, 2023, which resulted in killing at least 42, 065 Palestinians and injuring 97,886 others, mostly women and children. He touched upon the important issue of developing bilateral relations, particularly in the field of agriculture, as he called for the establishment of joint agricultural projects that would benefit both countries. Such projects would facilitate not only the granting of visas to Palestinians but also the extension of stay in the case such projects are established, in addition to offering privileges to Palestinian passport holders. President Dissanayake pledged that he would support these efforts following the formation of the new government and welcomed Palestine's contribution to Sri Lanka's plan to boost agricultural production. President Dissanayake won Sri Lanka's presidential election over the weekend, securing victory over opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, the runner up as well as over incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over the country two years ago after its economy hit bottom. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA