President and President of Sri Lanka visit Uncle Ho's stilt house and fish pond

President Luong Cuong this morning chaired a solemn welcoming ceremony for Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka on a state visit to Vietnam.

The President assessed that the President's visit was of great significance, taking place on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The President thanked President Anura for accepting the invitation to attend and deliver the opening speech at the United Nations Day of Vesak, as well as sending a congratulatory letter on the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification.

President Anura Disanayaka happily said that Vietnam was the first Southeast Asian country he visited after taking office. He expressed his admiration for Vietnam's impressive development, rising to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

z6570115402882_b99e86d59e662aa0d2ce02aac85b00a6 (1).jpg — President Luong Cuong and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka at a press conference to inform about the results of the talks.

The leaders and people of Sri Lanka always have warm friendship for Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh; admire Vietnam's indomitable fighting spirit and wish to learn from Vietnam's development experience.

The two sides agreed to continuously consolidate the traditional friendship and mutual understanding, promote visits, enhance cooperation between the two ruling parties, exchanges between people's organizations and friendship solidarity associations of the two countries; improve the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms...

The two countries promote more substantive defense, security, and justice cooperation, encourage increased exchanges and interactions, expand training cooperation, enhance capacity, coordinate in preventing transnational crimes, cybercrime, and law enforcement, and consider signing defense, security, and justice cooperation agreements.

The two leaders shared that the potential for economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries is still very large, and breakthrough measures are needed to exploit it effectively, striving to achieve the bilateral turnover target of 1 billion USD and increase two-way investment.

The President of Sri Lanka affirmed that he will create favorable conditions to encourage Vietnamese enterprises to invest in strategic areas of high demand in Sri Lanka such as infrastructure, telecommunications, education, healthcare, high-tech agriculture, agricultural and food processing, retail, logistics, and tourism.

President Luong Cuong and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka witnessed the signing of five cooperation documents in diplomacy, trade, customs, agriculture and machinery manufacturing.

The two sides agreed to further expand cooperation in important areas such as agriculture, food security, science and technology, education, culture, religion, health, tourism, and people-to-people exchange; increase sharing of experience in developing the marine economy, maritime transport, and maritime connectivity; and encourage airlines of the two countries to consider opening direct flights.

The President of Sri Lanka agreed to continue creating favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study and do business in Sri Lanka, including Vietnamese monks and nuns to participate in studying Buddhism, and to encourage Vietnamese pagodas, meditation centers and Buddhist establishments in Sri Lanka.

The two leaders agreed that in the context of complex changes in the world and region, the two countries will continue to closely coordinate and support each other at international and regional organizations.

President Luong Cuong welcomed Sri Lanka to strengthen relations and more substantive cooperation with Southeast Asian countries and ASEAN.

This morning, President Luong Cuong and President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka visited the President Ho Chi Minh relic site in the Presidential Palace grounds.