Politics

Sri Lanka forms parliamentary friendship group with Vietnam

The formation of the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group is a key milestone in relations between the two countries as well as between their parliaments, especially as Sri Lanka prepares to welcome a high-level delegation from Vietnam’s National Assembly.

Dr. Dammika Patabendi, Minister of Environment, the group’s chairman speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: VNA)
Dr. Dammika Patabendi, Minister of Environment, the group’s chairman speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Sri Lanka-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group has officially been launched by the 10th Parliarment of Sri Lanka.

The March 11 launch ceremony saw the attendance of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, Speaker of the Parliarment Jagath Wickramaratne, and Secretary General of the Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera. Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trinh Thi Tam participated in the event as an honorary guest and co-patron of the group.

Dr. Dammika Patabendi, Minister of Environment, was elected as the group’s chairman, while Hasara Liyanage, a member of parliament, was named its secretary. The group includes 15 members from Sri Lanka’s 10th Parliament.

In his remarks, Speaker Wickramaratne highlighted the long-standing friendship between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, calling the group’s formation a key milestone in relations between the two countries as well as between their parliaments, especially as Sri Lanka prepares to welcome a high-level delegation from Vietnam’s National Assembly. He expressed his hope that the group would foster activities to strengthen ties between the two nations and their legislative bodies.

vna-potal-sri-lanka-thanh-lap-hoi-nghi-sy-huu-nghi-sri-lanka-viet-nam-7911282.jpg
Delegates at the ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam praised the positive cooperation between the two countries and the key role their parliaments have played in strengthening Vietnam-Sri Lanka relations over the past 55 years since diplomatic ties were established in July 1970. She highlighted the parliaments’ role in overseeing government-level agreements and coordination at regional and international mechanisms like the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF).

The ambassador voiced confidence that the group would contribute to consolidating relations between the two parliarments and people-to-people exchanges, affirming the Vietnamese Embassy’s readiness to support its activities.

Dr. Patabendi pledged to promote meaningful initiatives to deepen mutual understanding and strengthen the Vietnam-Sri Lanka partnership for the shared benefits of both nations./.

VNA
#Sri Lanka-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship #VietnamPlus #Vietnam News Agency #Vietnam Sri Lanka
Follow VietnamPlus

Related News

See more

Party General Secretary To Lam (second, left) and his spouse, along with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn and his spouse, participate in a cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate Vietnam’s 30th anniversary of joining ASEAN. (Photo: VNA)

Party chief’s visits reflect shared commitment to ASEAN’s future aspirations

In their talks and meetings, the Vietnamese Party chief and leaders of Indonesia, Singapore, and the ASEAN Secretariat agreed to strengthen coordination at regional and global forums, and work closely with the bloc's member states to step up cooperation towards the successful building of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

Participants at the ceremony commemorate 64 naval officers and soldiers who sacrificed their lives on Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef, part of Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly), to defend the nation's sovereignty over seas and islands 37 years ago. (Photo: VNA)

Ceremony held to commemorate 64 fallen naval officers, soldiers in Gac Ma battle

On March 14, 1988, engineering soldiers of the Vietnam People’s Navy stood resolutely on Gac Ma with a unwavering commitment to protecting the national flag amid the vast sea. They faced death head-on, yet refused to retreat or surrender, creating an immortal circle of pride in the East Sea. The 64 soldiers, including nine from Da Nang and one from Quang Nam, laid down their lives.

Beni Sukadis, Senior Researcher at the Jakarta-based Indonesia Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (Photo: VNA)

Party chief’s state visit brings tangible benefits to Vietnam, Indonesia: scholar

Strengthening ties with Indonesia helps Vietnam gain better access to a vast market, increase trade opportunities, and enhance cooperation in areas such as energy, infrastructure, and digital transformation, according to Beni Sukadis, Senior Researcher at the Jakarta-based Indonesia Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (LESPERSSI).

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam (second from right) chairs a roundtable on education cooperation in South Australia. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam seeks stronger ties with Australia’s state

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam commended South Australia’s role in fostering cooperation between the two nations, particularly in science and technology, innovation, information technology, and education.

Vietnamese Ambassador - Designate Nguyen Van Hai (R) and Speaker of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies Sergio Carlos Gutiérrez Luna (Photo: VNA)

Parliamentary diplomacy helps consolidate Vietnam – Mexico friendship

The robust relationship between Vietnam and Mexico has expanded across multiple areas, from politics and economy to cultural diplomacy and been reflected through mutual support at international forums like the UN and the Asia – Pacific Economic Cooperation, and multilateral parliamentary platforms.

Vietnamese Ambassador Bui Van Nghi (L) and Vice President of the Brazilian Senate Eduardo Gomes in Brasília on March 12 (Photo: VNA)

Brazil appreciates growing partnership with Vietnam

Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi highlighted Brazil as Vietnam’s largest partner in Latin America. Vietnam currently imports soybeans, corn, and cotton from the country while exporting electronics, tires, clothing, and footwear.

An overview of the first meeting of the steering committee for restructuring, re-organising administrative units and developing a two-level local administration model on March 13. (Photo: VNA)

Steering committee for re-organising administrative units convenes first meeting

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh provided further details on the Government’s proposal, which involves transferring about one-third of the responsibilities currently handled by district-lev administrations to provincial authorities, while decentralising the remaining two-thirds to the commune-level administrations.

Party General Secretary To Lam (L) and President of Indonesia and Chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Prabowo Subianto meet with the press. (Photo: VNA)

Party chief’s visits to Indonesia, Singapore help raise Vietnam’s standing in ASEAN

Experts held that the state visit to Indonesia and official visits to the ASEAN Secretariat and Singapore by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam from March 9-13 achieved all the set objectives at a high level, with the most notable accomplishment being the upgrade of Vietnam’s relations with the two countries.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (centre) shakes hands with US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Evans Knapper. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam always regards US as strategically important partner: PM

PM Pham Minh Chinh affirmed the message of Party General Secretary To Lam and senior Vietnamese leaders that they attach great importance to and want to cooperate closely with President Trump’s administration to promote the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and maintain a stable and increasingly substantive development momentum.

Party General Secretary To Lam delivers a speech at the ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to ASEAN. (Photo: VNA)

ASEAN remains top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy in new era: Deputy PM

In his interview granted to the press, Son highlighted the significance of the Party chief's trips, saying that both Indonesia and Singapore, and the ASEAN Secretariat, placed great importance on the visits, offering the General Secretary, his spouse and the Vietnamese delegation the highly dignified reception, accompanied by practical working programmes.

The farewell ceremony for Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse at the Changi Airport, Singapore. (Photo: VNA)

Top Vietnamese leader wraps up official visit to Singapore

Discussing new developments in the East Sea, the two sides reaffirmed the need to continue strengthening political trust, calling on all relevant parties to settle disputes on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Party General Secretary To Lam (5th from left, second row) witnesses the exchange of MoUs between Vietnam and Singapore at the roundtable discussion on March 13. (Photo: VNA)

Party chief attends Vietnam - Singapore business roundtable

General Secretary To Lam stressed that Vietnam-Singapore relations have become a model of dynamic and effective cooperation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), serving as a benchmark for advancing intra-bloc and regional collaboration mechanisms.