Sri Lanka and Viet Nam Strengthen Ties with New Agreements
Sri Lanka and Viet Nam have reaffirmed their longstanding friendship and outlined a comprehensive plan to enhance cooperation in multiple sectors during the State Visit of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka to Viet Nam from 4th to 6th May 2025.
The visit, held at the invitation of Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, marked the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. President Dissanayaka was accorded a ceremonial welcome and held high-level talks with top Vietnamese leaders, including Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
A highlight of the visit was President Dissanayaka’s participation as Chief Guest at the UN Day of Vesak celebrations in Ho Chi Minh City, where he delivered the keynote address, reinforcing deep-rooted Buddhist ties between the two nations.
Both countries expressed satisfaction with the progress of their bilateral relationship and agreed to boost cooperation in key areas, including politics, defence, trade, investment, agriculture, education, tourism, and digital innovation. They committed to elevating their partnership through the early convening of several bilateral forums in 2025, including the Joint Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation.
Defence and security collaboration received special attention, with an agreement to renew the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation. The two sides will also enhance military education exchanges and intelligence sharing, and explore joint efforts in defence industries and UN peacekeeping.
On the economic front, both nations agreed to work toward increasing bilateral trade to USD 1 billion, review existing investment and tax agreements, and promote business linkages. Sri Lanka invited Vietnamese investments in sectors such as agriculture, renewable energy, electronics, real estate, and logistics.
The two countries will also strengthen connectivity, with plans to initiate direct flights to boost tourism and business travel. Sri Lanka expressed interest in learning from Viet Nam’s advanced agricultural technology, while Viet Nam welcomed Sri Lanka’s offer to share expertise in archaeology and heritage conservation.
In education, both sides renewed their cooperation agreement and agreed to facilitate student exchanges and scholarships, particularly in science, technology, and Buddhist studies.
The leaders also pledged joint action on emerging challenges such as cybercrime, climate change, and digital transformation, while reaffirming shared positions on regional security and international maritime law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS.
President Dissanayaka reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to closer ties with ASEAN, noting its participation as Co-Chair of the ASEAN Regional Forum’s Disaster Relief meetings alongside Viet Nam. The Vietnamese side welcomed Sri Lanka’s intention to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner.
Concluding the visit, President Dissanayaka extended invitations to General Secretary To Lam and President Luong Cuong to visit Sri Lanka. The invitations were graciously accepted, signaling a continued deepening of ties between the two friendly nations.
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