President Ranil Wickremesinghe has received an invitation to participate in the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) plus China, which will take place in Cuba in September, foreign media reported.

The Cuban Ambassador to Sri Lanka Andrés Marcelo González has delivered the letter of invitation from the Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to the Sri Lankan president during a meeting, the official state news agency of Cuba ‘Presna Latina’ said citing diplomatic sources.

‘Current challenges of development: Role of science, technology and innovation’ is the central theme of the upcoming event, which is scheduled to be held in Cuba on September 15 and 16.

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.

The group has enormous challenges for the development of their nations, which together represent 80 percent of the world population and more than two thirds of the UN membership.

-with inputs from agencies

Ranil Wickremesinghe