Sri Lanka and Vietnam have agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a “Comprehensive Partnership” during the state visit of Vietnamese President and Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm to Sri Lanka.
The joint statement issued following bilateral discussions between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and President Tô Lâm said the move aims to strengthen political trust and expand cooperation across multiple sectors including trade, investment, defence, technology, agriculture, education and tourism.
The two countries also agreed to work towards increasing bilateral trade to USD 1 billion by 2030, while Vietnam acknowledged Sri Lanka’s interest in becoming an early member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Both sides pledged closer cooperation in public security, maritime security, cyber security and combating transnational crime, while also expanding defence cooperation and information exchange.
The statement noted that Sri Lanka and Vietnam will encourage stronger investment flows, with discussions focusing on sectors such as infrastructure, telecommunications, healthcare, renewable energy, tourism infrastructure and high-tech agriculture.
The leaders also welcomed ongoing efforts to commence direct flights between Sri Lanka and Vietnam this year to improve connectivity and tourism.
During the visit, several Memorandums of Understanding were signed covering science and technology, religion, culture, media and communications cooperation. (Newswire)
