US National Security Advisor calls on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

COLOMBO (News 1st): Robert O'Brien - National Security Advisor to US President, Donald Trump has called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday (7th May). The duo had held discussions on efforts to combat Coronavirus in the two countries, and O'Brien had reiterated on friendly relations between US and Sri Lanka. "NSA Robert O'Brien spoke with Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday and reaffirmed the long history of U.S.-Sri Lankan friendship and cooperation. They discussed the U.S. and Sri Lankan Covid-19 response efforts," said the US National Security Council on Twitter, on Friday (8th May). According to the NSA Twitter handle, O'Brien had also informed President Rajapaksa of his US counterpart's offer to provide ventilators to Sri Lanka, on behalf of American people. "The strong bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Sri Lanka is an important part of a free and open Indo-Pacific region," read the NSA tweet on Friday. O'Brien's call to Sri Lanka's Head of State comes as US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina B. Teplitz confirmed of a donation worth $4.5 million to Sri Lanka from the US, to assist its fight against COVID-19, on Wednesday (6th May). Furthermore, in April, the US donated $1.3 million to Sri Lanka to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to help protect healthcare workers.