Aug 16, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has received approval form the Cabinet of ministers to establish diplomatic relations with 13 Latin American countries.

The Cabinet has approved a proposal made by the Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris to establish diplomatic ties with Guatemala, Suriname, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, St. Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Sri Lanka has diplomatic relations with 20 out of the 33 countries in Latin America that are UN members.

The government says promotion of Sri Lanka's diplomatic relations in a wide scale in this region will be another step forward in Sri Lanka's foreign policy.