Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, who is currently on an official visit to the Republic of Belarus, held bilateral discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Maxim Ryzhenkov, and senior Belarusian officials in Minsk.

Representing Sri Lanka at the discussions were Ambassador-designate of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Shobini Gunasekera, Director General for Europe and North America, Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, and other government officials, according to a statement.

Following the bilateral discussions, the Foreign Ministers of Sri Lanka and Belarus issued a joint statement outlining the shared commitment of both countries to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors. 

The visit marks the first high-level visit from Sri Lanka to Belarus in more than a decade and signifies a renewed momentum in relations between the two countries, the statement said.

The discussions also resulted in the signing of an agreement and Memoranda of Understanding, which are expected to lay a solid foundation for advancing bilateral ties and expanding cooperation between Sri Lanka and Belarus in the years to come.

Addressing the joint media event at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Minister Herath stated:

“Sri Lanka is open to exploring new avenues for cooperation with Belarus in multifaceted sectors, with a view to further strengthening our mutually beneficial cooperation, aligning with our national priorities.

“Constructive and extensively engaging discussions my delegation and I had with Ryzhenkov and the delegation in the morning, as well as the signing of an agreement and two Memoranda of Understanding, will lay a solid foundation for advancing bilateral ties between our countries in the years to come.

“We discussed enhancing the already friendly bilateral ties through convening the next round of political consultations and the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, exchange of visits, and cooperation between the legislatures of the two countries.

“During our discussion, I reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to deepening relations with Belarus by leveraging emerging synergies in trade, investment and tourism. I invite our Belarusian friends to enhance trade ties and invest in Sri Lanka making use of the investment friendly climate fueled by recent reforms.
 
“In this context, I welcome the signing of the Air Services Agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Government of Belarus. Sri Lanka looks forward to materialization of regular flight operations by ‘Belavia’ to Sri Lanka, which will be a stepping stone to enhance tourism, business exchanges, and overall connectivity between the two countries.

“Sri Lanka recognises tourism as a key area of cooperation with Belarus. Enhanced flight operations and improved connectivity between the two countries are expected to unlock a considerable untapped potential within the tourism sector.

“Further enhancing cooperation in the education sector was discussed during our meeting. I am confident that our collaboration could be extended to postgraduate education and specialized training. Belarus is a valued destination for Sri Lankan students, particularly pursuing higher education in medicine. Currently, there are over 3000 Sri Lankan students studying at universities in Belarus. 

“We discussed cooperation in the healthcare sector, medical technology, supply of affordable medicine, possible joint ventures in pharmaceutical production, exchanges of expertise in healthcare management, and medical training and expressed our preparedness to share the Sri Lankan expertise in Ayurveda and wellness."