President meets Mamata in Dubai while heading to Cuba & USA

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Dubai International Airport, while en-route to Cuba and the USA for an official visit.

The Chief Minister posted on X, formerly Twitter, that she held a discussion with the President at the Dubai International Airport Lounge, and extended an invitation to him to attend the Bengal Global Business Summit 2023 in Kolkata.

She said that the Sri Lankan president also invited her to visit the island nation.

According to Indian media, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday (12) left for a 12-day tour of Spain and the United Arab Emirates. 

This is the first foreign trip by the Chief Minister in five years and aims at attracting investments to the State.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe left for Cuba, and the United States of America on Wednesday (13) morning to attend the Group of 77 (G77) summit in Havana, and the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

“Current challenges of development: Role of science, technology and innovation” is the central theme of the upcoming event in Cuba, to be held on September 15th and 16th.

President Ranil Wikremesinghe received an official invitation to participate in the Summit of the Group of 77 plus China from Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel, the current Chair of the summit. 

The G77 plus China was founded in 1964 within the Non-Aligned Movement and is a coalition of 134 countries that promotes collective economic interests of its member states and the creation of enhanced joint negotiation power at the UN. 

World leaders will gather in New York for the opening of the 78th session of the General Assembly (UNGA 78) under the theme, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all.” 

The first day of the high-level General Debate will be 19th September 2023.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed several acting ministers to oversee the ministries under his purview during his overseas engagement, said the President's Media Division. 

State Minister Kanaka Herath - Acting Min. of Technology & Investment Promotion

State Minister Anupa Pazqual - Acting Min. of Women Children & Social Service

State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya - Acting Min. of Finance 

State Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon - Acting Min. of Defence