A bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam, who is on a state visit to Sri Lanka, has been held this afternoon (08) at the Hilton Colombo.

Welcoming the Vietnamese President warmly, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya expressed her gratitude to President To Lam for accepting the invitation extended by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to visit Sri Lanka, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said. 

The Prime Minister further stated that President To Lam’s visit to Sri Lanka, which coincides with the 56th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Vietnam, reflects the strong partnership, trust and friendship shared between the two countries and would mark a new milestone in bilateral relations in the years ahead.

Special attention was focused during the discussions on strategies to further strengthen and diversify multifaceted partnerships, including economic, cultural and social ties, in a manner that would bring mutual benefits to the people of both countries, the statement added. 

Representing the Government of Sri Lanka at the occasion were Minister of Environment, Dr. Dhammika Patabendi, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri and Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Nalaka Kaluwewa, along with several other officials.

Representing Vietnam were Politburo Member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Central Organisation Commission Nguyen Duy Ngoc; Politburo Member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Commission Nguyen Thanh Nghi; Politburo Member, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang; Politburo Member and Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang; and Politburo Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, along with several other representatives.