Venezuela donated US$ 6.2 million for the Sri Lanka Tsunami Relief Fund for the construction of 1000 houses. These houses will be constructed in a location to be determined by the Sri Lankan government.
The Venezuelan Vice Foreign Minister William Izarra called on Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar to confirm this donation and said the funds had been collected by the people of Venezuela as symbol of their feeling of solidarity with the tsunami-affected people of Sri Lanka. The Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez initiated it.
The Venezuela Vice Minister also expressed the hope that a Venezuelan diplomatic mission will be established in Colombo soon and that his country would like to have an adviser visit to see the progress of the construction as well as to discuss details of opening a diplomatic mission in Colombo.
FM Kadirgamar thanked Venezuela for the donation, the largest from a Latin American country and welcomed the suggestion of Venezuela opening a diplomatic mission is Sri Lanka.
Both sides agreed on the need to explore ways and means of expanding trade relations between the two countries.
Secretary to the President W J S Karunaratne present at the meeting, handed over a letter from President Chandrika Kumaratunga addressed to President Hugo Chavez expressing her appreciation for the donation.