The second round of political consultations between Sri Lanka and France has been held virtually, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism said in a statement.

The consultations were co-chaired by the Director-General of the Europe and North America Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka, Sugeeshwara Gunaratna and Director for Asia & Oceania in the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, Benoit Guidee. 

The consultations marked an important milestone in the longstanding and cordial relationship between Sri Lanka and France and sought to build on the momentum achieved in the recent past, the Foreign Ministry noted. 

Both sides underscored the constructive engagement as a testament to the strong partnership between the two countries and an opportunity to review progress and identify new areas of cooperation, following the successful inaugural session of bilateral political consultations held in October 2023 in Colombo.  

The two sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, especially, bilateral political engagements, maritime and defence cooperation, and cooperation on trade, tourism and development. Prospects for strengthening linkages in education and people-to-people exchanges were also discussed.  

Sri Lanka conveyed its sincere appreciation to the government of the French Republic for the generous humanitarian assistance extended to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.  

Both sides noted with satisfaction the leading role played by flagship French investments in Sri Lanka, with the French side noting that French investors have given a vote of confidence for Sri Lanka. The longstanding development cooperation provided by France to Sri Lanka and the increase in tourism from France to Sri Lanka over the last few years were also appreciated. 

The two delegations recognized the establishment of the Regional Centre for Maritime Studies (RCMS) as a significant achievement and explored avenues to further strengthen this cooperation, drawing on France’s integrated approach to ocean governance and institutional coordination mechanisms. 

The consultations highlighted shared priorities in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable ocean governance. In this regard, Sri Lanka underscored its ratification of the BBNJ Agreement and appreciated France’s support in advancing the BBNJ process, with both sides expressing interest in closer collaboration towards the effective implementation and operationalization of the Agreement.  The two delegations also exchanged views on regional and global developments, and reaffirmed their commitment to working closely within the United Nations and other multilateral fora on issues of mutual interest. Both sides reiterated their adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, international law, and multilateral cooperation, the Ministry added.

The Sri Lankan delegation included senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, together with the Chargé d’ Affaires a.i of the Embassy of Sri Lanka to the French Republic and other senior officials of the Embassy.