President of France Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on Friday (July 28), French media reported.

On the occasion of this historic visit to the island nation, a first by a French president, Macron will call on his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe, according to leading French newspaper Le Monde.

The President’s Media Division (PMD) said the two leaders are expected to hold talks about deepening bilateral relations as well as shared regional and global challenges.

The French leader, who was on an official visit to New Caledonia from Monday to Wednesday, is traveling to Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea before arriving in Sri Lanka on Friday evening.

Macron will be accompanied by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna and a high-level delegation comprising senior officials of the French Government.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Japan, Hayashi Yoshimasa will be undertaking an official visit to Sri Lanka on July 28 and 29.

During the visit, the Japanese foreign minister is scheduled to have official discussions with his Sri Lankan counterpart Ali Sabry at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Colombo and pay courtesy calls on President Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa will be accompanied by Murakami Manabu, Senior Foreign Policy Coordinator; Arima Yutaka, Director General Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs; Endo Kazuya, Director General International Cooperation; Okano Yukiko, Deputy Press Secretary from the Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry and a 22-member delegation consisting of officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

The delegation will be visiting one of the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) sites in Sri Lanka, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.