Vietnam and Sri Lanka Elevate Bilateral Ties to Comprehensive Partnership

Colombo, The Gulf Observer: General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việtnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake jointly addressed the press in Colombo on Friday morning (local time), announcing the outcomes of their bilateral talks, which concluded with the elevation of relations between the two countries to a Comprehensive Partnership.

President Dissanayake warmly welcomed the Vietnamese leader and his delegation, describing the visit as a reflection of Việt Nam’s strong regard for Sri Lanka as a traditional partner in South Asia. He said the visit would further strengthen longstanding friendship and elevate cooperation for the benefit of both peoples, as well as contribute to peace, stability, and development in the region and beyond.

He noted that the visit provided an important opportunity to comprehensively review bilateral cooperation and identify concrete measures to advance relations into a new phase of development. The Sri Lankan President also praised Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements and expressed confidence in its continued progress under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee.

Reaffirming historical ties, President Dissanayake highlighted the enduring goodwill between the two nations and noted the deep respect Sri Lankans hold for late Vietnamese leader Hồ Chí Minh. He further expressed interest in expanding cooperation in culture, education, religion, and people-to-people exchanges, while also strengthening coordination on regional and global issues of mutual concern.

At the conclusion of the briefing, he thanked the Vietnamese Government for the meaningful and practical gifts extended to Sri Lanka.

In his remarks, President Tô Lâm thanked the President, Government, and people of Sri Lanka for their warm and respectful reception. He congratulated Sri Lanka on its socio-economic progress and efforts to restore growth momentum and improve living standards.

He informed the media that both sides held successful and productive discussions, emphasizing the long-standing friendship, mutual trust, and support built over more than 55 years of diplomatic relations. The two leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments and agreed that current conditions present significant opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation.

Both sides committed to further strengthening political trust, expanding high-level exchanges, and enhancing cooperation through Party, State, parliamentary, and people-to-people channels. They also agreed to maintain and strengthen existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

On the economic front, the two countries pledged to expand practical cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, energy, and science and technology. They also agreed to pursue breakthrough measures aimed at achieving a bilateral trade target of US$1 billion in the near future and to explore the establishment of a bilateral trade and investment agreement.

President Tô Lâm also welcomed Sri Lanka’s plan to facilitate direct flights between the two countries, describing it as a major step forward that would significantly improve connectivity and boost cooperation across multiple sectors.