Sri Lanka and Australia to strengthen long standing bilateral ties
Daily FT: A meeting between Presidential Chief of Staff Prabath Chandrakeerthi and Australian High Commissioner Matthew Duckworth was held yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat, with talks centred on strengthening long standing bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in key sectors.
According to a statement issued by the President’s Media Division (PMD), discussions focused in particular on education and employment pathways for Sri Lankans in Australia, reflecting the depth of people-to-people links between the two countries.
The High Commissioner noted the close engagement in higher education as well as in cricket, a shared cultural touchstone that continues to underpin relations.
Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to tackling human smuggling and drug trafficking across the Indian Ocean region, issues that have figured prominently in bilateral security cooperation in recent years.
The High Commissioner said Australia stands ready to extend further support to Sri Lanka in areas including education, agriculture, and sustainable development.
He also observed that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has had economic repercussions for Australia, underscoring the wider global impact of geopolitical instability.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s focus on further strengthening and expanding bilateral and trade ties with Australia also extends to other foreign countries as well. Sri Lanka is currently reviewing the country’s existing trade ties with foreign countries and is looking at further expanding these ties to include more foreign countries. The many trade agreements as well as trade concessions enjoyed by the country with many foreign countries have already helped boost Sri Lanka’s manufacturing and export industries. While the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has resulted in disruptions in the global supply chains creating a demand for many export commodities, Sri Lanka presents the ideal destination for foreign businesses/investors engaged in trade activities to set up bases to engage with markets within the Asian region and outside. With the increasing freight costs for goods travelling through the Middle East area, setting up manufacturing and trade bases in the South Asian region, especially in Sri Lanka, which is strategically positioned in the Indian Ocean with strong trade ties with many foreign countries, would be beneficial for foreign businesses/investors to sustain and expand their businesses. While Sri Lanka presents many lucrative business ventures for Australian businesses/investors, other foreign businesses could also explore the opportunities presented by Sri Lanka while also looking at expanding operations through partnerships or joint ventures with Sri Lankan businesses.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20260402/Z_2 |