According to VNA, promoting ties with Sri Lanka will help tap into the potential of this market in particular and South Asia in general, opening up opportunities for economic cooperation, boosting Vietnam’s exports and investment.

On the occasion of the State visit to Sri Lanka by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam from May 7 to 8, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong, a member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ministry’s Party Committee, granted an interview to the press.

Could you elaborate on the purpose and significance of the upcoming State visit to Sri Lanka by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam?

Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong: At the invitation of President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Party General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam To Lam, together with a high-level Vietnamese delegation, will pay a State visit to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka from May 7 to 8, 2026.

The visit carries a particularly important diplomatic message, demonstrating Vietnam’s high regard for Sri Lanka as well as the South Asian region. This will be the highest-level visit by a Vietnamese leader to Sri Lanka since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1970.

Sri Lanka is a traditional friend with long-standing ties with Vietnam. The two countries have supported each other during their struggles for national liberation and reunification. Notably, during his journey to seek a path for national salvation and revolutionary activities, President Ho Chi Minh set foot in Sri Lanka three times, in 1911, 1928 and 1946; the Sri Lankan people have always held him in special respect and affection. With that significance, the visit by the General Secretary and State President will contribute to consolidating the traditional friendship and further strengthening the sincere bonds between the leaders and peoples of the two countries built over decades.

As Sri Lanka has just emerged from a crisis and is striving to recover and develop, the visit reflects Vietnam’s attention and solidarity with Sri Lanka, reaffirming that Vietnam always stands side by side with its traditional friends.

At the same time, the visit is expected to create new momentum and help shape a framework for cooperation in the next phase. Sri Lanka holds an important strategic position, located along key maritime routes in the Indian Ocean, and is also a promising market with nearly 30 million people. Enhancing relations with Sri Lanka will help unlock the potential of this market in particular and South Asia in general, opening up opportunities for economic cooperation, increasing Vietnam’s exports and investment, and strengthening supply chains in several sectors where both sides have strengths. In addition, the visit aims to promote maritime cooperation, maritime security, port connectivity, and enhance cooperation in culture, tourism, Buddhism, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

What are the notable achievements in Vietnam - Sri Lanka relations in recent years, and what are Vietnam’s expectations for this visit?

Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong: As mentioned, Vietnam and Sri Lanka share a traditional friendship and strong multifaceted cooperation, especially high political trust and a convergence of development perspectives, along with shared cultural and Buddhist values. The two countries have established several important mechanisms as a foundation for cooperation, including the Joint Commission at the ministerial level on bilateral cooperation, deputy minister-level political consultations, and the Joint Trade Committee. During the State visit to Vietnam in 2025 by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the two sides issued a Joint Statement and signed several important cooperation documents in agriculture and education.

Economic and trade cooperation between the two countries still holds considerable potential. Although current bilateral trade stands at just over USD 200 million, as Sri Lanka stabilizes its situation and returns to a development trajectory, it will become a highly promising market for Vietnamese enterprises to expand exports and investment in the future. Therefore, during this visit, we expect to set higher targets for two-way trade and investment, with a view to advancing several major investment projects by Vietnamese businesses in Sri Lanka in the coming period.

Cooperation in culture and tourism, particularly spiritual tourism, has developed well, and the two countries are also planning to open direct air routes to enhance connectivity and promote tourism and trade.

There are solid grounds to believe that the State visit to Sri Lanka by the General Secretary and State President will become an important political milestone, generating new momentum and opening a new phase in bilateral relations, with higher political trust, broader and deeper cooperation, and greater effectiveness and substance.

The visit not only reaffirms Vietnam’s commitment to strengthening ties with Sri Lanka but also reflects the shared determination to elevate the traditional friendship from historical depth to forward-looking cooperation for mutual development and the prosperity of both nations.

Together with the visit to India, the visit to Sri Lanka by the General Secretary and State President underscores Vietnam’s attention to South Asia and its determination to work with countries in the region to deepen cooperation for the benefit of their peoples and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong.