Colombo (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam, and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with the press on May 8 morning (local time), during which they announced the outcomes of their just-ended talks in Colombo, including the upgrade of the bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership.
President Dissanayake expressed his pleasure at welcoming the top Vietnamese leader and his entourage, describing their trip as a reflection of Vietnam’s regard for Sri Lanka as a traditional partner in South Asia. The visit is expected to contribute to strengthening traditional friendship and elevating bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples, as well as for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, he said.
It also provides an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review bilateral collaboration in recent years and identify concrete directions and measures to elevate relations to a new stage of development.
The President praised Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and expressed confidence that under the leadership of the CPV, the country will continue its strong development trajectory. He emphasised the longstanding friendship between the two nations and affirmed that the Sri Lankan people have always held deep respect for late President Ho Chi Minh - a great leader of the Vietnamese nation and an outstanding cultural figure.
The Sri Lankan leader also expressed a desire to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in areas where both sides hold strong potential, and expand collaboration in culture, education, religion, and people-to-people exchanges to further consolidate bilateral ties. He suggested the two countries strengthen multilateral cooperation and close coordination on regional and international issues of shared concern for peace, stability, and development.
At the event, President Dissanayake also thanked the Vietnamese Government for meaningful and practical gifts presented to Sri Lanka.
For his part, General Secretary and President Lam thanked the President, Government, and people of Sri Lanka for their warm, respectful, and cordial welcome. He congratulated President Dissanayake and the Government on important achievements in socio-economic development, gradually restoring the country’s growth momentum and improving people’s living standards.
He told the press that the two sides held successful talks and highly valued the enduring friendship, mutual trust, and support cultivated over more than 55 years of diplomatic relations. The leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues and agreed that the current context offers many opportunities and converging interests for elevating bilateral relations.
The two sides committed to further strengthening friendship and cooperation, deepening political trust at a high level, and expanding collaboration in a more comprehensive and substantive manner across all sectors.
They agreed to deepen political, defence, and security cooperation on the basis of mutual trust, understanding, and respect; and enhance high-level exchanges and contacts through Party, State, parliamentary, and people-to-people channels, alongside maintaining regular bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
The two countries also consented to strengthen practical and mutually beneficial cooperation in economy, trade, investment, agriculture, energy, and science and technology. They pledged to pursue breakthrough measures to achieve a bilateral trade target of 1 billion USD at an early date and work toward a future bilateral trade and investment agreement.
The top Vietnamese leader welcomed plans by Vietnamese airlines to launch direct flights between the two countries, describing the move as a breakthrough in connectivity that will facilitate cooperation across multiple fields./.
