During the meeting, Patabendi inquired about the recent storms and flooding in Vietnam and expressed sympathy for affected localities. He said Sri Lanka is also dealing with the impact of a landslide triggered by days of heavy rain in the central province. He sought information on Vietnam’s preparations for the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, including the country’s priorities and major goals, and voiced admiration for Vietnam’s rapid economic development.

For her part, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam recalled the March 2025 visit to Sri Lanka by National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai and thanked the Sri Lankan Parliament and Government for their warm and thoughtful reception. She said the visit generated new momentum for parliamentary cooperation and deepened the two countries’ traditional friendship. She noted the active role of the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group since its establishment in March 2025, particularly in activities marking the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which were attended by the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament.

She also referred to President Dissanayake’s state visit to Vietnam and participation in the UN Day of Vesak hosted by Vietnam in May 2025, during which the two sides issued a Joint Statement reaffirming their commitment to advancing parliamentary cooperation, environmental cooperation and people-to-people exchange, along with priority areas such as trade, investment, agriculture, fisheries, education and culture.

Since then, progress has been made, including increased exchanges, most recently the visit by Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Digital Economy to the October 2025 opening ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime for signature, and preparations for the third session of the Joint Subcommittee on Trade in December.

Tourism flows have risen, with about 3,000 Vietnamese visitors traveling to Sri Lanka during the ten months of 2025. Both sides are also working toward launching a direct flight in 2026. Ten Sri Lankan students have recently received full scholarships from major Vietnamese universities to pursue degree programs taught in Vietnamese.

On sectoral cooperation, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam highlighted strong potential in environmental cooperation, including waste management, nature conservation, marine protection, climate change response and green growth, and suggested that the two sides consider establishing cooperation frameworks in these fields. She also proposed further strengthening parliamentary exchanges and invited the Chair and Vice Chair of the Sri Lanka–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time.

Minister Patabendi welcomed the proposals, stressing that Vietnam is an important partner for Sri Lanka in Southeast Asia and that Sri Lanka wants to expand cooperation in areas aligned with shared interests. He supported the signing of an MoU on environmental cooperation. He said he will attend the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Kenya in December, where Sri Lanka will propose a resolution on the role of youth in environmental protection, and expressed hope that Vietnam would support the initiative. He also showed interest in holding a bilateral meeting with Vietnam on the sidelines of the conference.

As Chair of the Sri Lanka–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group, he confirmed the group’s commitment to working with the Vietnamese Embassy on 2026 activities, including the 15th anniversary of the reopening of the Vietnamese Embassy in Colombo and the development of a Ho Chi Minh memorial site at the Colombo Public Library, and to promoting parliamentary exchanges.

Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination to carry out the agreements reached by senior leaders of the two countries, thereby contributing to more substantive and effective Vietnam–Sri Lanka cooperation in the period ahead.

Vietnamese booth impresses visitors at Sri Lanka international charity bazaar

VOV.VN - A Vietnamese booth featuring traditional food and handicrafts drew much attention of visitors at a Sri Lanka international charity bazaar held in Colombo on November 23.

Vietnam seeks stronger locality-to-locality cooperation with Sri Lanka

Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trinh Thi Tam and a working delegation from the embassy visited Sri Lanka’s Northern Province from November 17-19 to promote economic–trade cooperation, explore investment potential and enhance locality-to-locality ties between the two countries.