Sri Lanka: Sirisena Says SAARC Cultural Center To Enhance South Asian Cultural Ties

Sri Lanka’s President Mithripala Sirisena said the SAARC Cultural Centre proposed to be set up in Matara will help greatly to enhance strong cultural links between the people of South Asia.

Sirisena inquired Friday into the progress of the establishment of the SAARC Cultural Centre which is being constructed at an 8-acre land extent in Matara, when SAARC Secretary General Arjun B Thapa called on him at the Presidential Secretariat.

Mr Thapa said Sri Lanka will be in a position to obtain financial assistance to the tune of US Dollars one million to 1.5 million for any project from the SAARC Development Fund. Sirisena said he would instruct the Foreign Ministry to channel the proposals to the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu.

Mr Thapa said that the SAARC Secretariat would launch publications on Buddhist Trail shortly and it would be followed by publications on religious worship trails of Hindu, Muslim and Christianity too.

The SAARC Secretary General invited President Sirisena to inaugurate the SAARC Health Ministers Meeting in Colombo later this year.