ECONOMYNEXT – Viet Nam is looking to further strengthen cultural, economic and people to people links as the 50 years of diplomatic relations is marked in 2025, ambassador Trinh Thi Tam said.
“The two countries also keep a very good practice of supporting each other and multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations, non-allied movement, and our ASEAN regional forums,” Ambassador Tam said.
“The Embassy of Vietnam Sri Lanka has the privilege of serving in Sri Lanka with strong and consistent support from the government and people of Sri Lanka. Our ambition is to bring bilateral relations to new heights for the benefits of the two peoples.”
Bilateral trade between the two countries now averaged 300 to 350 million dollars a year.
Several Sri Lankan companies have invested 42 million dollars in registered capital in Viet Nam.
“The bilateral relations still have many potentials and opportunities, not only in traditional sectors such as trade, investment, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, education, religion, and people-to-people links,” Ambassador Tam said.
“But also in new sectors such as electric vehicles, IT, renewable energy, construction, green economy, digital economy, innovation, climate change.”
Vietnam is ready to help Sri Lanka with hi-tech export agriculture, she said. Vietnam has become a major exporter of food, with globally competitive farming, fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
The embassy is planning a series of activities to promote cultural and people to people links.
A quiz competition and logo design competition on Vietnam – Sri Lanka bilateral relations was launched in January 2025 and will go on till June 2025. The first month’s winner has been chosen.
Commemoration of President Ho Chi Minh’s 135th birth anniversary will be held in May 2025 with the Vietnam – Sri Lanka solidarity foundation along with an essay writing competition.
A Vietnam film festival will be held in Colombo in August/September 2025.
A Vietnam cuisine week will be held in September/October.
The celebration of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 80 National Day of Vietnam will be held in August and September 2025 with a cultural program by visiting artistes is also planned.
The issue of a joint stamp collection is being discussed and the naming of a street in Colombo after President Ho Chi Minh.
The logo design competition will start in March and go till 2025. Winners will be awarded in July, to mark diplomatic relations.
Sri Lanka and Vietnam formally established diplomatic relations on July 21, 1970. Vietnam set up an embassy in Colombo in 1971.
Foreign Minister Madam Nguyen Thi Binh, visited Sri Lanka and a visit to Sri Lanka in 1976 and Prime Minister Pham Van Dam visited Sri Lanka in 1978.. Period two, in the 1980s.
After 2000, relations had strengthened with a Joint Committee for Bilateral Cooperation at foreign minister level. Then President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Viet Nam. Vietnam President Trương Tấn Sang visited Sri Lanka.
In 2011, Vietnam reopened its embassy in Colombo, which was closed in the 1980s amid budget cuts.
Most recently Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son in Dubai.
The two countries have signed more than 30 agreements and memorandum of understanding in all sectors of cooperation, set up three cooperation mechanisms, including the joint committee at minister level, the political consultation at deputy minister level, and the joint trade subcommittee at deputy minister of trade. (Colombo/Mar07/2025)
