A bilateral Air Services Agreement has been signed between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka on Wednesday (Feb. 22) in the Hague, the Netherlands.

The bilateral agreement will provide a stronger platform to further intensify connectivity both between the countries as well as the European and Asian regions, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Netherlands said.

The instrument inked at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides inter alia for the designated Airlines of both Countries to fly between Amsterdam and Katunayake and beyond their respective territories.
 
Issuing a statement, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Netherlands noted that while the agreement broadens avenues for leisure and business travel, and enhances business interaction, it will also provide a speedier conduit for the transfer of cargo. 

Sri Lanka has been a popular destination among Dutch Travellers, it added, mentioning that 11,987 Dutch tourists have travelled to Sri Lanka in 2022, despite travel restrictions which prevailed during certain periods in the year. 
 
Sri Lanka’s Envoy to the Netherlands Ambassador Aruni Ranaraja and Mr. H. Van Faassen, Acting Director General for Civil Aviation at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management have signed the instrument on behalf of the two countries, according to the Embassy of Sri Lanka.

The signature of the Agreement reflects the mutual desire to further deepen the bilateral relationship, it said. 

The Agreement signed on February 22, 2023, will come into effect on the first day of the second month following the date of the latter written notification through diplomatic channels, replacing a 1953 instrument, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Netherlands highlighted.