Sri Lanka, Belarus agree to expand bilateral ties

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath has concluded his official visit to the Republic of Belarus. A key highlight of the visit was the signing of a bilateral agreement on Air Services and two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of higher education and in the field of health care, between Sri Lanka and Belarus, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The official programme commenced with a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Victory Monument in Minsk, where Minister Herath paid tribute to the fallen soldiers and honoured the resilience and sacrifices of the people of Belarus.

During the visit, Minister Herath called on President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko, the Chairperson of the Republic Council of the National Assembly Natalya Kochanova and held bilateral discussions with Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov.

Both sides appreciated the progress made in bilateral ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations of which the 25th Anniversary was celebrated last year, and agreed that further scope exists to expand the relationship. It was decided to hold the next round of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade & Economic Cooperation and the 3rd round of political consultations between the two countries later this year.

Minister Herath also extended an invitation to Minister Ryzhenkov to visit Sri Lanka at a mutually convenient time, which was accepted.

After their meeting, the two Ministers addressed the media, outlining the steps discussed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation. Minister Herath also met the Belarus Minister of Health Aliaksandr Khajayeu and the two Ministers signed an MoU on Health Care. He visited the Belarusian State Medical University in Minsk.

Minister Herath held detailed discussions with the Minister of Education Andrei Ivanets where he was joined by the Minister of Transport and Communication Alexei Lyakhnovich, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture & Food Alexsandr Yakovchits and the Deputy Minister of Industry Leonid Ryzhkovsky. The well-being of the large Sri Lankan student community in Belarus, numbering around 3000, was a key focus of the discussions.

Minister Herath invited Belavia Airlines to commence direct flights between Colombo and Minsk considering the growing volume of travel between the two countries. Over 10,000 Belarusian tourists visit Sri Lanka annually.

During the visit, Minister Herath addressed a business and tourism round-table organized by the Belarus National Export Promotion Center.

Deputy Minister of Industry, Leonid Ryzhkovchits and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture & Food Aleksandr Yakovchits joined the discussion together with a Belarus business delegation which included representatives from the National Tourism Agency, Belavia and major travel agencies of Belarus. The recent approval by the Sri Lanka Parliament to provide free Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to tourists from 40 countries, including Belarus, was appreciated by the Belarusian side.

At a cultural evening organized in Minsk Minister Herath addressed a gathering of the Sri Lankan student community in Belarus.

The visit underscored the growing, shared commitment between the two sides to strengthen bilateral cooperation in key areas, in line with the development goals of both nations.

Education, possible Belarusian investment in key sectors, enhanced trade, and tourism were among main topics that featured during the official discussions, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Sri Lankan delegation at the meetings included Ambassador to Russia with concurrent accreditation to Belarus, Shobini Gunasekera, Director General for Europe & North America of the Foreign Ministry, Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, and First Secretary (Commercial) at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Moscow, Sanjeewa Bandara.