Norway has commended Sri Lanka for cooperating with other states in the Bay of Bengal region and leading an international dialogue on the sustainable management of their ocean resources.

Norway has also invited Sri Lanka to participate in the ‘Our Ocean Conference’ to be held in Norway in October 2019.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Oslo, Norway, on October 5.

“Norway and Sri Lanka have developed strong bilateral relations over many years based on mutual respect and cooperation,” the joint statement issued by both leaders said.

“We share democratic values and are firm supporters of a rules-based global order, through multilateral cooperation, international law, human rights and the United Nations system, including the UN Security Council.”

The statement also noted that Norway and Sri Lanka share a strong and common interest in the sustainable management and use of our oceans and the blue economy. “Without the oceans, there would be no life on our planet.”

Norway and Sri Lanka will explore further cooperation in areas such as innovation and ocean-technology, fisheries and aquaculture, and sustainability of fish resources.

Both countries also recognized the potential for enhanced private sector cooperation within the information and communications technology (ICT), renewable energy and maritime sectors.

The cooperation between the Sri Lankan and Norwegian ICT associations over the past two years has demonstrated the potential for profitable business partnerships in the areas of digitalization, entrepreneurship and technology, which can create new jobs and offer new services.