Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have agreed to accelerate ongoing negotiations aimed at expanding bilateral trade and investment, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening economic cooperation and longstanding ties between the two countries.

The matter was discussed when Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dharmapala Weerakkody paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka, according to a ministry press release.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed ongoing bilateral cooperation, with particular emphasis on expanding trade and investment through faster progress in ongoing negotiations.

Kobir said Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, under their new leaderships, were pursuing nation-building through pragmatic and forward-looking approaches.

He highlighted the mutual interest in exploring new avenues of cooperation to fulfil the aspirations of the peoples of both countries.

The state minister also recalled his interactions with Sri Lankan leaders on the sidelines of various multilateral events.

Emphasising the importance of translating bilateral commitments into tangible outcomes, Kobir stressed the need to implement the decisions reached at the fourth Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Foreign Office Consultation, held in Colombo in November 2025.

The next round of the Foreign Office Consultation is scheduled to take place in Dhaka.

Both sides expressed optimism about further strengthening the longstanding and multifaceted relations between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, particularly through enhanced economic engagement, trade and investment cooperation.

– with Agencies inputs --