Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris met with the Commissioner of the European Union for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, on the sidelines of the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, held at the French Foreign Ministry in Paris.

Minister Prof. Peiris discussed with EU Commissioner Urpilainen the strengthening of partnerships between Sri Lanka and the European Union with regard to value-added exports such as garments, flavoured teas, spices including cinnamon and pepper, fisheries products, gems and jewellery, as well as partnerships in respect of investments in priority sectors like the hospitality sector, Information Technology, food processing, power and energy, and the production of pharmaceuticals.

The discussion also touched on health policy cooperation, connectivity among ports and harbours in the region, vocational training, digitalization and other aspects of people to people contact.

European Commissioner Urpilainen told Minister Prof. Peiris that the EU is increasingly outward-looking in reaching out to countries around the Indian Ocean and the Pacific and that there are clear synergies in the areas of activity identified by the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka.