Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met this afternoon with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his accompanying delegation.
At the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the deep-rooted friendly relations between the two countries and said that relations between the Islamic Republic and Sri Lanka have never been as strong because there are good grounds for cooperation between the two countries.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the achievements of the Sri Lankan government in overcoming the country's internal problems and praised the Sri Lankan government's policy of providing support for the Palestinian nation.
His Eminence further added: "The Palestinian nation is an innocent nation which is being oppressed from all sides. And their cruel enemy, the Zionist regime, which is backed by the US is doing everything in its power to violate the rights of the Palestinian people."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the officials of all countries should play an active role in supporting the Palestinian people.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution further expressed hope that the Sri Lankan President's trip to Tehran will help the two countries expand their relations in all fields.
In this meeting, the Sri Lankan President said: "Sri Lanka started its friendly relations with the Palestinian nation many years ago and has always proudly expressed its support for the innocent Palestinian people in international meetings."
Mr. Rajapaksa further referred to the efforts made by his government to fight terrorism and support Muslims and added that Sri Lanka's government has successfully managed to return Muslims displaced during terrorist attacks to their homes.
Sri Lanka's President further stated that the relations between Iran and Sri Lanka are deep-rooted and expressed his gratitude for the support provided for his country by the Islamic Republic. He also said that Sri Lanka is willing to expand its economic relations with the Islamic Republic in all fields.