Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam always attaches importance to its traditional friendship with Sri Lanka, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Duc Hai told Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya on March 20.
Hai, who is on an official visit to the South Asian country from March 19-22, expressed his delight at the continuous development of bilateral relations over the past 55 years, emphasising that the two countries have together cultivated relations with a long history and high political trust as well as warm affections.
Harini Amarasuriya welcomed and appreciated Hai’s opinions, particularly the need to continue promoting all-level delegation exchanges, resume the implementation of bilateral cooperation mechanisms in 2025, including the Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, to review and set directions for future collaboration, and continue to review and sign new agreements in promising fields.
Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in economy, trade, and investment, with an aim to soon reach 1 billion USD in two-way trade; consider negotiating and signing a free trade agreement soon; and promote the possibility of a direct air route to facilitate exchanges, trade, and tourism, and tap into the potential and strength of each country.
She affirmed that her country will create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest long-term in Sri Lanka, especially in areas where Sri Lanka has demand and Vietnam has strengths, such as agriculture, infrastructure, services, tourism, and retail.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen and deepen collaboration in other potential fields such as tourism, education and training, cultural and religious exchanges, and people-to-people connections.
The Prime Minister stressed that Vietnam and Sri Lanka share many similarities on regional and international issues. Therefore, in the context of the complex developments in the world and regional situations, mutual trust and alignment of viewpoints serve as the foundation for the two countries to further strengthen their cooperation and support each other at multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.
She reiterated Sri Lanka's proposal to soon become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and expressed her hope that Vietnam will support and assist her country in this process, based on the strong and friendly relations between the two countries.
On the same day, the Vietnamese NA Vice Chairman had a meeting with Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, during which he affirmed that Vietnam always remembers the valuable support that Sri Lanka extended to it during its struggle for national reunification in the past, and continues to highly value the nurturing of the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the South Asian nation today.
Wickramaratne showed his hope that Vietnam will share its experience in international economic integration, foreign investment attraction, and agricultural development with Sri Lanka.
Hai shared Vietnam's experiences in agricultural development, and the building of the OCOP (One Commune, One Product) model, and suggested Sri Lanka send delegations to Vietnam for further exchange on this field. He also thanked Sri Lanka for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community living and studying there; and requested it to implement preferential policies to encourage Vietnamese businesses to strengthen trade and investment cooperation.
Both sides agreed to continue promoting the implementation of signed agreements, expand cooperation between localities, as well as promote cultural, educational, tourism, and Buddhist cooperation, while encouraging Sri Lankan students to study in Vietnam.
They pledged to intensify delegation and people-to-people exchanges, and organise practical activities to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.
In the context of both Vietnam and Sri Lanka striving to achieve their socio-economic development targets, their parliaments should strengthen cooperation and share experiences, especially in the areas of building institutions and perfecting the legal system for the development of the digital economy and digital society, they stressed.
The two sides also exchanged and shared experiences in developing policies aimed at creating favourable conditions for the development of ethnic minorities in remote and rural areas, as well as those for environmental protection and sustainable development.
Also on March 20, Hai met with Sri Lanka's Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, during which they shared experiences in the development of economy, agriculture and trade, and digital transformation, and discussed the possibility of signing the FTA between the two countries.
Within the framework of his visit, the NA Vice Chairman also held talks with Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Rizvie Salih, met with the newly established Sri Lanka-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, and planted a commemorative tree in the grounds of the Sri Lankan Parliament.
He then visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Colombo, where they met with diplomats and representatives of the Vietnamese community there.
The Vietnamese community in the South Asian country has about 150 people, including 70 monks and nuns./.
