Colombo (VNA) - As part of the state visit to Sri Lanka by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam, Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Politburo member, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and Chairman of its Commission for Policies and Strategies, held meetings in Colombo on May 8 with leaders of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP - People's Liberation Front), the Communist Party of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association.
At the meeting with Nghi, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva expressed appreciation for the top Vietnamese leader’s visit, describing it as an honour for the Sri Lankan State and people and voicing his hope for stronger ties between the two countries and the two parties.
Tilvin Silva also praised the victories achieved by the Vietnamese Party and people in the struggle for national liberation, national defence and national development under the Doi moi (Renewal) process. He expressed his interest in learning from Vietnam’s experience as Sri Lanka continues efforts to recover from economic difficulties and promote socio-economic development.
For his part, Nghi stressed that the Party, Government and people of Vietnam always cherish and remember the support and solidarity extended by the Sri Lankan people and political parties, including the JVP, during Vietnam’s struggle for independence and its current national development efforts.
He noted that Vietnam closely follows and welcomes Sri Lanka’s positive progress in macroeconomic stabilisation and post-crisis recovery.
He reiterated that Vietnam consistently pursues its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations and proactive international integration, and being a trusted partner and responsible member of the international community.
Nghi emphasised that Vietnam highly values its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Sri Lanka, adding that the recent elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership marks an important step forward and creates a new framework for expanding cooperation across various fields for the benefit of both peoples.
He proposed the two parties continue strengthening exchanges and cooperation, including information sharing on domestic developments and regional and international issues, as well as sharing experiences in Party building, mass mobilisation and sustainable development. He called for closer coordination in promoting awareness among younger generations about the long-standing solidarity and friendship between the two countries.
During a separate meeting with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka G. Weerasinghe and General Secretary of the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association Sudasinghe Sugathapala, the Vietnamese Party official congratulated the Communist Party of Sri Lanka on the successful organisation of its 23rd Congress and congratulated Weerasinghe on his re-election as General Secretary.
He expressed confidence that under the leadership of the General Secretary, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka will continue making positive contributions toward building a peaceful, independent and progressive Sri Lanka.
Nghi briefed the Sri Lankan side on the outcomes of the 14th National Congress of the CPV. He appreciated the meaningful activities carried out by the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association in promoting bilateral friendship and thanked the Communist Party of Sri Lanka and the association for their longstanding respect for late President Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese people.
He suggested that in the coming period, the two parties should intensify exchanges, theoretical discussions and people-to-people activities, and strengthen coordination at international party forums where both sides are members.
For his part, Communist Party of Sri Lanka General Secretary Weerasinghe congratulated Vietnam on the success of the 14th Party Congress. He said he paid close attention to Vietnam’s strategic development goals, including the “two centenary goals” and the target of achieving growth of more than 10% in 2026 and the following years, expressing confidence that Vietnam will successfully fulfill its objectives./.
