MR donates US$ 1 million to Palestine leader

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday on the sidelines of the 69th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York for bilateral discussions.

During the meeting with President Abbas, President Rajapaksa officially handed over Sri Lanka's US$1 million donation to Palestine.

Conveying apprehension for the violence in Gaza, President Rajapaksa, who has been a long-time supporter of the Palestinian cause, announced the donation in August of this year.

At the meeting, President Abbas told how much he and the Palestinian people appreciate Sri Lanka's support and, particularly, the President's continued commitment to the Palestinian cause.

President Abbas also briefed of the current situation in both the West Bank and Gaza, and also talked about the challenges the people are facing in those regions.

"The escalation of violence in the Middle East is deeply distressing," President Rajapaksa said in his address to the General Assembly the previous day.

In January of this year, President Rajapaksa made his first visit to Palestine on his tour of the region that also included Jordan and Israel.

During that visit, the Government of Palestine conferred President Rajapaksa with the "Star of Palestine" - the highest award of the State of Palestine - for the President's continued support and commitment to the Palestinian cause.

-By Hafsa Sabry