HCM City (VNA) - Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka left Ho Chi Minh City on May 6, successfully concluding his state visit to Vietnam and attendance at the United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations held from May 4-6 at the invitation of State President Luong Cuong.
While in Hanoi, President Dissanayaka laid a wreath in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum. He also laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs on Bac Son street.
Party General Secretary To Lam hosted a reception for the Sri Lankan President, while President Luong Cuong presided over an official welcome ceremony, held talks, joined a press briefing, and hosted a banquet for the guest. The two Presidents also witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements and visited the President Ho Chi Minh relic site. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man also met separately with the Sri Lankan leader.
At these meetings, the Vietnamese leaders welcomed the Sri Lankan President's visit, which coincided with the 55th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. They highly valued his attendance and keynote speech at the Vesak 2025 opening ceremony, and expressed their appreciation for his congratulatory message on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification. The Vietnamese side stressed the historical importance of this milestone, not only for the Vietnamese people but also for international friends such as Sri Lanka, which stood in solidarity with Vietnam during its struggle for national independence.
President Dissanayaka, on his first trip to a Southeast Asia country since taking office, expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s transformation since national reunification. He highlighted Vietnam as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, now among the world’s top 32 economies by GDP, and its growing role and position in the region and the world.
He emphasised the Sri Lankan leaders and people’s admiration for President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam’s resilient spirit in both wartime and national construction, expressing his desire to draw lessons from Vietnam’s development experience.
In wide-ranging discussions, the leaders reviewed the strong traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation forged since diplomatic ties were established on July 21, 1970. They expressed their satisfaction with the trust and vibrant people-to-people ties underpinning the relationship and issued a joint statement outlining key priorities to elevate the Vietnam-Sri Lanka partnership.
Within the framework of the trip, President Dissanayaka visited Bai Dinh Pagoda in the northern province of Ninh Binh and the headquarters of Vingroup, a major Vietnamese conglomerate. In Ho Chi Minh City, he delivered a keynote address as a chief guest at the Vesak celebration, reaffirming the Buddhist connection between the two nations.
The state visit underscored the commitment of Vietnam and Sri Lanka to cherish their longstanding friendship and expand all-around cooperation. Both sides expressed a shared vision to advance a more dynamic, expansive, and groundbreaking partnership built on mutual interests and untapped potential for the benefit of their people./.
