Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, held separate bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of the Netherlands, Canada and Singapore on the sidelines of the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, the Philippines.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Minister Herath said he held a productive discussion with Netherlands Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, during which both sides explored ‘ways to further strengthen relations and enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest’.
The Foreign Minister also met with Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand, with discussions focusing on further strengthening Sri Lanka–Canada relations. “We exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest,” he said.
In addition, Herath also held talks with Singapore's Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan on the sidelines of the ARF meeting. The discussions centred on expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of ‘trade, education, artificial intelligence and digital transformation’.
The meetings took place during Minister Herath's participation in the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum, where he is representing Sri Lanka in discussions on regional security and international cooperation.
