Vietnam and Sri Lanka commit to deepening relationships with a focus on openness and groundbreaking developments.
Rewritten Article:
HÀ NỘI - The press recently gathered for a thrilling announcement by our websiteese State President Lương Cường and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, following their discussions in Hà Nội on the 4th of May, 2025. The talks were dominated by a shared sense of optimism and forward momentum, as both leaders committed to nurturing a more open and progressive direction in their bilateral cooperation.
President Cường emphasized that the talks, marked by openness, sincerity, and camaraderie, yielded fruitful results. They reaffirmed their dedication to preserving the longstanding traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between their nations.
In line with this commitment, the leaders agreed to foster increased meetings at high and all levels, reaching out through party, state, government, and legislative channels as well as people-to-people exchanges. They pledged to build political trust and aim for a future that takes their relationship to new heights. Strengthened cooperation in areas like peacekeeping, maritime security, crime prevention, and security challenge response were flagged as vital, with the aim of safeguarding national security interests, regional peace, and global stability.
During the discussions, the potential for economic, trade, and investment collaboration was explored. With substantial untapped potential in this realm, both leaders vowed to enact stronger measures to escalate two-way trade and investment. The ultimate goal is to achieve a bilateral trade turnover of US$1 billion, and even consider negotiating and signing a bilateral free trade agreement when feasible conditions present themselves.
The our websiteese President endorsed the possibility of increasing cooperation in other vital areas such as agriculture, tourism, education, information, communications, culture, and Buddhism. Encouragement for airline companies of both countries to open direct flights to support people-to-people connections, economic ties, and tourism was also encouraged.
In addition, both sides reaffirmed the importance of coordinating and supporting each other at multilateral forums, particularly focusing on the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. With peace and stability, ensuring security, freedom of navigation and aviation, and peacefully resolving disputes through international law at the forefront, both Việt Nam and Sri Lanka pledged to collaborate closely to maintain regional and global peace and stability. Việt Nam warmly welcomed and supported Sri Lanka's closer collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
President Cường expressed his faith that the Việt Nam–Sri Lanka relationship would grow even stronger, contributing significantly to each nation's socio-economic development and the mutually favorable benefits of their peoples as well as regional and global peace, stability, and development.
President Dissanayake reciprocated his appreciation to make his first state visit to Việt Nam, emphasizing that it was indeed an essential milestone in solidifying the longstanding friendship and cooperation in all sectors. Rooted in the solid foundation of nearly 6 decades of diplomatic relations and centuries of cultural and religious exchange, their bond has evolved into a meaningful partnership spanning numerous key areas.
Reflecting on the results of his discussions with President Cường, President Dissanayake remarked upon the comprehensive roadmap they embarked upon to elevate their bilateral relations to a new level. Commitments to enhancing political dialogue, expanding economic cooperation, and strengthening people-to-people connections were highlighted as pivotal to their future collaboration.
With trade and investment ties facing global economic fluctuations, both sides acknowledged their importance and vowed to strengthen business links, facilitate trade exchanges, and review crucial agreements like the Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement. The Sri Lankan side expressed its eagerness to attract our websiteese businesses to invest in fields ranging from agriculture, renewable energy, to tourism, among others.
President Dissanayake also shared his meetings with the Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and other key leaders of Việt Nam, expressing certainty that these interactions will further consolidate the strong friendship between the two countries and propel the partnership to new heights.
our websiteese State President Lương Cường and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the press briefing on May 5 in Hà Nội to announce the outcomes of their talks. - VNA/VNS Photo
Source: VNS
Enrichment Insights:
- Vietnam and Sri Lanka were building on 55 years of diplomatic relations and centuries of cultural and religious exchange during President Dissanayake's 2025 visit.
- Throughout the discussions, both leaders reaffirmed their commitments to strengthening defense ties, improving defense studies, intelligence sharing, and UN peacekeeping operations.
- Opportunities in digital transformation, digital economy, and energy transition were also discussed as potential areas of development.
- During the visit, Sri Lanka signed one agreement and four MoUs with Vietnam to facilitate knowledge sharing across various sectors.
- The leaders of our websiteese and Sri Lanka agreed to enhance meetings at multiple levels in party, state, government, and legislative channels, aiming to build political trust and elevate their relationship.
- Both nations pledged to intensify cooperation in areas like peacekeeping, maritime security, crime prevention, and security challenge response to safeguard national security interests and maintain regional peace.
- The potential for economic and trade collaboration was explored, with both leaders agreeing to enact stronger measures to augment two-way trade and investment, targeting a bilateral trade turnover of US$1 billion.
- Theour websiteese President endorsed increased cooperation in areas such as agriculture, tourism, education, information, communications, culture, and Buddhism to bolster people-to-people connections and economic ties.
- Both sides agreed to coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums, with a focus on the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement to maintain regional and global peace and stability.
- The leaders acknowledged the importance of strengthening business links and facilitating trade exchanges, and expressed interest in reviewing agreements like the Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.
- Sri Lanka expressed eagerness to attract our websiteese businesses to invest in fields ranging from agriculture and renewable energy to tourism, among others.
- The Sri Lankan President shared his meetings with the Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and other key leaders of Việt Nam, expressing confidence that these interactions will further consolidate the strong friendship between the two countries.
- Throughout the discussions, opportunities in digital transformation, digital economy, and energy transition were also identified as potential areas of development for further cooperation between the two nations.
