General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President of Việt Nam Tô Lâm (second, right) talks to Speaker of Sri Lanka's Parliament Jagath Wickramaratne at their meeting in Colombo on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo

COLOMBO — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President of Việt Nam Tô Lâm had a meeting with Speaker of Sri Lanka's Parliament Jagath Wickramaratne in Colombo on Friday as part of his ongoing state visit to the South Asian country.

Speaker Wickramaratne warmly welcomed the top Vietnamese leader, affirming that the visit will further deepen the newly established Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries and promote all-round cooperation in the coming period.

He stressed that Sri Lanka and Việt Nam share a long-standing friendship fostered through early cultural and religious exchanges. The two countries have consistently supported and assisted each other during difficult periods of struggle against foreign invaders and for national independence.

Throughout that historical journey, generations of leaders from both countries have continuously nurtured the friendship founded by President Hồ Chí Minh. He appreciated the attention from current Vietnamese leaders, especially Party General Secretary and President Lâm, to the enhancement of bilateral relations.

Expressing admiration for Việt Nam’s remarkable socio-economic achievements under the leadership of the CPV, the Speaker voiced his hope that the two countries will continue reinforcing cooperation to bring about practical benefits to their peoples.

The Sri Lankan Parliament also wishes to strengthen ties with the Vietnamese National Assembly in state governance, anti-corruption efforts and digital transformation, among other areas, he added.

The host underscored the historic significance of Party General Secretary and President Lâm’s address before the Sri Lankan Parliament earlier the same day. He said the speech not only inspired Sri Lankan lawmakers but also resonated with local voters, offering valuable lessons for Sri Lanka during the national development process.

For his part, Party General Secretary and President Lâm voiced his pleasure at revisiting Sri Lanka in his new capacity and witnessing the country’s steady and sustainable development. He highly valued the role of the Sri Lankan Parliament in adopting policies and legal frameworks conducive to economic recovery, reform promotion and social welfare protection.

The Vietnamese leader briefed the Sri Lankan Speaker on his highly successful talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, particularly the agreement to elevate bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership and define comprehensive and substantive directions for cooperation across all fields.

Thanking the Speaker and the Sri Lankan Parliament for inviting him to address the important parliamentary session, the top leader of Việt Nam expressed his hope that the speech, which shared Việt Nam’s development experiences and suggestions for future bilateral cooperation, would be of interest to Sri Lankan legislators.

Highlighting the important role of parliamentary cooperation, the Party and State leader of Việt Nam expressed his wish for the two legislatures to strengthen coordination, soon sign a cooperation agreement, and work together to effectively supervise the implementation of the high-level agreements and signed cooperation documents, especially economic cooperation initiatives aimed at achieving US$1 billion in bilateral trade turnover. He also proposed increasing exchanges of experience in institutional building and legal framework improvement for the development of the digital economy and digital society.

He suggested the Sri Lankan Parliament adopt preferential policies for Vietnamese enterprises investing in the country in such areas as infrastructure, services, tourism, electric vehicles, technology and telecommunications, while facilitating Vietnamese airlines' launch of direct air routes between the two sides.

The Party General Secretary and President further called on Sri Lanka to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community living, studying and doing business in the country, including Vietnamese Buddhist monks and nuns pursuing religious studies there.

On this occasion, the top Vietnamese leader conveyed greetings and an invitation from National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn to Speaker Wickramaratne and Sri Lankan parliamentarians to visit Việt Nam. The host thanked the Vietnamese leader and respectfully invited Chairman Mẫn to pay a visit to Sri Lanka at an appropriate time. — VNA/VNS