According to VNA correspondent in South Asia, from November 17-19, Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trinh Thi Tam and the Embassy's delegation visited and worked in the Northern province of Sri Lanka to promote economic and trade cooperation, explore investment potential and strengthen connectivity between localities of the two countries.
On November 17, during a courtesy call on Governor of Nagalingam Vethanayahan and working with leaders of the province's departments and branches, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam highly appreciated the province's socio-economic recovery efforts in recent times.
The Ambassador expressed his wish to strengthen cooperation between Vietnam and the Northern Province of Sri Lanka in areas of local strength such as agriculture , fisheries, livestock, tourism, trade and investment; and at the same time, learn about the specific cooperation needs of the province with Vietnam.
The Ambassador emphasized that the favorable development of Vietnam-Sri Lanka relations is an opportunity for localities of the two countries to expand connections and exploit existing potential.
Governor Nagalingam Vethanayahan said that the Northern Province of Sri Lanka has a strategic location connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia; possesses abundant resources with fertile land, long coastline, strengths in agriculture, livestock, fishing-aquaculture, tourism , especially the largest cow milk production and supply industry in the country.
The province is currently prioritizing the development of industrial parks, special economic zones, transport infrastructure and logistics to attract foreign investment. Provincial leaders welcome Vietnamese enterprises to explore opportunities in the fields of agricultural and aquatic product processing, infrastructure development, education, healthcare and renewable energy.
On November 18, within the framework of implementing economic diplomacy in 2025, the Embassy coordinated with the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce to organize a dialogue with businesses in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, introducing the investment and business environment in Vietnam and exchanging cooperation opportunities in the fields of high-tech agriculture, food processing, construction, logistics, energy and tourism.
At the event, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam emphasized that Vietnam has a stable investment environment, synchronous infrastructure, high-quality human resources and a large FTA network, making it an attractive destination for international businesses, including Sri Lanka.
The Ambassador reiterated the commitment of the leaders of the two countries during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's visit to Vietnam in May 2025 to strive to bring bilateral trade turnover to 1 billion USD, requiring the active participation of the business communities of both sides. The Ambassador affirmed that the Embassy is ready to support businesses to connect and exchange cooperation.
Within the framework of the event, local businesses highly appreciated the potential of the Vietnamese market and wanted to learn more about policies and investment opportunities.
Businesses also expressed their expectations for increased connectivity as there are currently 30 Sri Lankan investment projects in Vietnam, with a total capital of more than 43 million USD, and a large number of businessmen and tourists from both countries regularly traveling back and forth (about 1,000 Sri Lankans and 300 Vietnamese people per month).
In the context that Sri Lanka, especially the Northern province, is still heavily affected by the economic-financial crisis, local businesses want Vietnamese enterprises to play a more active role in surveying, investing and cooperating.
Many opinions proposed prioritizing substantive cooperation in areas where Vietnam has strengths and the province has high demand, such as high-tech agriculture, agricultural and aquatic product processing, and aquaculture; at the same time, it was suggested that Vietnam increase experience sharing, technology transfer, and support for human resource training.
The working trip ended successfully, contributing to strengthening the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, opening up many opportunities for local connection in the context of the two countries celebrating the 55th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations (1970-2025).
The Northern Province of Sri Lanka is the closest region to Southeast Asia in Sri Lanka. It once contributed nearly 50% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP); however, the prolonged conflict devastated the local economy. The province is now recovering but still lacks supporting industries to increase the value of products for export./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/55-nam-quan-he-viet-nam-sri-lanka-tang-cuong-ket-noi-cap-dia-phuong-post1078087.vnp
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