At 8:30 a.m., a mounted escort led the motorcade of General Secretary and State President To Lam into the Presidential Secretariat. Sri Lankan artists performed traditional dances to welcome Vietnam’s top leader.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake personally welcomed To Lam at the arrival area and invited him to the ceremonial platform. A military band played the national anthems of Vietnam and Sri Lanka, followed by a 21-gun salute.

The commander of the honour guard invited To Lam to inspect the guard of honour. The Sri Lankan President and the top Vietnamese leader later introduced members of their respective delegations attending the ceremony.

Following the welcome ceremony, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and General Secretary and State President To Lam led the high-level delegations of the two countries into talks.

Since Vietnam and Sri Lanka established diplomatic relations on July 21, 1970, the traditional friendship between the two countries has continued to strengthen and expand across a variety of fields.

The longstanding close ties between the two countries have provided a foundation for Vietnam and Sri Lanka to work towards elevating bilateral relations, providing both countries with a stronger foundation as they enter a new period of development.

To Lam’s state visit to Sri Lanka will become an important political milestone, creating fresh impetus  and opening a new phase in bilateral relations, with political trust elevated to a higher level and cooperation expanded in broader, deeper, more effective and more substantive directions.

The visit not only reaffirms the importance Vietnam attaches to relations with Sri Lanka, but also shows the joint determination of both countries to upgrade their traditional friendship from longstanding historical ties to cooperation for mutual development and shared prosperity for the two peoples.

Vietnam’s top leader arrives in Colombo for state visit to Sri Lanka

VOV.VN - General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived in Colombo on the evening of May 7 (local time), for a two-day state visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Top Vietnamese leader’s visit to Sri Lanka to tap trade potential

The May 7-8 state visit to Sri Lanka by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam is poised to foster market connectivity, tap potential, and shift bilateral ties toward more substantive cooperation in the years ahead.