OREANDA-NEWS. The Union Health & Family Welfare Minister Shri J. P. Nadda today met Mr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Government of Sri Lanka and discussed issues related to increasing cooperation between the two countries in health sector.

Shri Nadda noted that the relations between India and Sri Lanka are unique and based upon shared historical, cultural, ethnic and civilizational ties and extensive people-to-people interaction.

Shri Nadda extended an invitation to Mr. Rajitha Senaratne to attend the next SAARC Health Ministers’ Meeting at New Delhi which India has offered to host in the near future.

Shri Nadda shared with his Sri Lankan counterpart that India has taken a series of steps to prevent and contain the threat from Ebola virus and underlined the need for cooperation between the two countries to guard against infectious disease threats. He also underscored the need for expanding bilateral cooperation in the area of health, including traditional medicines, through formal MoUs on health cooperation and hoped that these could be finalised and signed at the earliest.

Both sides agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in health and to resolve the issues, if any, amicably through mutual consultations since India and Sri Lanka have close and friendly relations.