Foreign Office Consultations between Sri Lanka, Bangladesh paves way for stronger bilateral cooperation

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have agreed to strengthen investment ties and explore port connectivity projects as part of broader efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation during the fourth round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), which concluded in Colombo on Thursday.

The meeting, held after eight years and co-chaired by the foreign secretaries of the two nations, provided a platform to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and identify new areas of collaboration. Discussions focused on trade, investment, connectivity, defence, tourism, education, agriculture, fisheries, youth development, culture, health, digital innovation, and people-to-people exchanges.

Sri Lanka highlighted its existing investments and the presence of its diaspora in Bangladesh while inviting Bangladeshi investors to explore opportunities in development projects, logistics services, agriculture, and tourism-related businesses. Bangladesh welcomed additional investment from Sri Lanka in export processing zones, special economic zones, and API industrial parks, particularly in high-potential sectors such as pharmaceuticals, hospitality, tourism, automobiles and light engineering, ICT, renewable energy, agro-processing, and leather and footwear industries.

Both countries emphasised trade facilitation, including streamlining the registration process for pharmaceutical products, convening meetings of the Trade Negotiating Committee, and advancing the Joint Working Group on Trade and Shipping. They stressed the importance of engaging the private sector to strengthen economic cooperation.

Connectivity and shipping were highlighted as priority areas, with discussions on establishing port links between Chattogram and Colombo. Tourism cooperation was also explored, with Sri Lanka proposing initiatives to promote green tourism and Bangladesh suggesting joint tourism circuits focusing on tea and Buddhist heritage sites.

Agriculture and fisheries cooperation featured prominently, with both sides exploring knowledge and expertise sharing in water resource management, deep-sea fishing, and freshwater fish farming. Bangladesh invited Sri Lankan farmers for exposure visits and offered collaboration in the livestock sector while seeking Sri Lanka’s expertise in deep-sea fishing.

Regional cooperation through SAARC, BIMSTEC, and IORA was emphasised, and Bangladesh sought Sri Lanka’s support for the safe return of Rohingya refugees, ensuring their rights, livelihoods, and dignity.

During the visit, the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh paid courtesy calls on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra. The Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh also invited his Sri Lankan counterpart to Dhaka for the fifth round of Foreign Office Consultations next year.

The Bangladesh delegation included High Commissioner Andalib Elias and senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Shipping, and Commerce. The Sri Lankan delegation included High Commissioner Dharmapala Weerakkody, Director General of the South Asia & SAARC Division Samantha Pathirana, and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism, and other agencies.

Source: Daily Sun
--Agencies