Sri Lankan President’s visit bodes well for bilateral ties

(October 23, Ha Noi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lanka and Viet Nam have great potential for co-operation, while any agreements signed will create favourable conditions for ties to be further strengthened, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday.

The Sri Lankan president, who arrived in Ha Noi yesterday for an official three-day visit, made the statement during a meeting with Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.

Rajapaksa expressed his admiration for the enormous achievements made by the Vietnamese people during the renewal and international integration process. He added that industrialisation and modernisation would further enhance the country’s profile.

Manh congratulated Sri Lanka on its recent historic victory against the Tamil Tigers, which he said had helped the country enter a period of peace, stability, national construction and development.

He added that Viet Nam had always supported the Sri Lankan Government’s efforts to stabilise the nation, fight terrorism and restore security and social order.

He spoke highly of the results of talks between the Sri Lankan and Vietnamese presidents and proposed that the two countries work closely at regional and international forums on peace, stability and development in Asia and the rest of the world.

Two-way trade

Viet Nam and Sri Lanka have agreed to promote co-operation in economics, trade and investment to raise two-way trade to US$100 million by 2012.

The agreement was reached during talks between President Nguyen Minh Triet and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday.

The two leaders agreed to expand mutually beneficial co-operation in other areas such as agriculture, aquaculture, oil and gas, mechanics, aviation services, maritime transport, construction, culture, education and health care.

They said that Viet Nam and Sri Lanka should increase the exchange of ministerial and sectorial delegations and optimise the work of the Viet Nam-Sri Lanka Joint Committee.

Triet congratulated Sri Lanka on its recent victory against the Tigers and expressed his belief that the country would make strides in national reconstruction.

"Viet Nam wants to strengthen traditional friendships and all-round co-operation with Sri Lanka," Triet said.

For his part, Rajapaksa affirmed Sri Lanka’s desire to foster co-operative ties with Viet Nam.

He welcomed Viet Nam’s decision to re-open its representative office in Colombo in 2010, considering it a new chance for the two countries to strengthen friendship and co-operation.

The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. Triet said that Viet Nam would support Sri Lanka’s bid to expand ties with ASEAN when it took over the ASEAN chairmanship in 2010.

Rajapaksa invited Triet to visit Sri Lanka and the invitation was accepted with pleasure.

After talks, they witnessed the signing of a number of co-operation packs between the two countries including a Government-level agreement on investment promotion and protection, a memorandum of understanding on cultural co-operation, a co-operation plan on agricultural development for 2010-11, a co-operation plan on aquaculture for 2010-13 and a co-operation agreement on combating crime.

On the same day, Rajapaksa met Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The two sides agreed to join hands in technology and science, particularly with disarming bombs.

-Sri Lanka Guardian