Senior Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Shohei Hara and a delegation met Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at Temple Trees to discuss Sri Lanka’s post-disaster recovery, economic development and future cooperation.

Prime Minister Amarasuriya expressed appreciation for JICA’s longstanding support for Sri Lanka’s development, with particular recognition for Japan’s assistance during recovery efforts following Cyclone Ditwah.

The discussions focused on Sri Lanka’s reconstruction priorities, including the rehabilitation of roads, railways and other critical infrastructure. The importance of strengthening disaster preparedness, disaster-risk reduction measures and the country’s capacity to respond to future natural disasters was also highlighted, the Office of the Prime Minister stated.

The ongoing debt restructuring process and efforts to strengthen Sri Lanka’s economic recovery were also discussed. Prime Minister Amarasuriya reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

The JICA delegation expressed its continued willingness to support Sri Lanka through lending assistance, while emphasizing the need to ensure tangible outcomes from development projects. The delegation also highlighted Japan’s commitment to supporting inclusive education programmes.

Several key areas of bilateral cooperation were discussed, including the development of Bandaranaike International Airport, assistance for a Doppler weather monitoring system and the Digital Terrestrial Television Network project.

Waste management and renewable energy were also identified as priority areas for further cooperation, with both sides emphasizing the importance of strengthening collaboration to support Sri Lanka’s long-term development, the Prime Minister’s Office added.

The meeting was attended by Shigeo Honzu, Chief Representative of the JICA Sri Lanka Office; Minoru Matsunoshita, Senior Representative of the JICA Sri Lanka Office; Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Sagarika Bogahawatta, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister; and officials from the Department of External Resources.