General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm addresses the Việt Nam–Sri Lanka Trade-Investment-Tourism Cooperation Forum in Colombo on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photos

COLOMBO — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President Tô Lâm has stressed the need for Việt Nam and Sri Lanka to foster economic connections while attending the Việt Nam–Sri Lanka Trade–Investment–Tourism Cooperation Forum in Colombo on Friday (local time).

The event was jointly organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, with the participation of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, leaders of ministries and agencies, and a large number of businesses from both countries.

The top leader of Việt Nam stressed that the forum is not only a venue for exchanging cooperation opportunities but also a symbol of connectivity between the two economies, the two regions and, more broadly, among global flows of trade, investment and development.

He noted that the world is undergoing rapid and complex changes, and no country can achieve sustainable development in isolation. Economies need closer linkages, greater complementarity, enhanced competitiveness and deeper integration into global value chains.

In that context, Việt Nam–Sri Lanka relations hold particular significance as ties between two countries with important geostrategic positions and strong potential for complementarity and regional connectivity, he underlined.

The Vietnamese leader highlighted Việt Nam’s major socio-economic achievements in recent years, saying the country has consolidated its position as a dynamic, stable and highly open economy. Việt Nam remains among the world’s leading trading economies and has signed and implemented numerous new-generation free trade agreements, creating favourable conditions for businesses to access global markets, he said.

Việt Nam also continues to attract international investors thanks to its stable political environment, abundant workforce and competitive costs, while emerging as an attractive tourism destination with strong recovery and growth momentum, the leader added.

These achievements demonstrate that Việt Nam is not only a market, but also a reliable development partner and an important link in global supply chains, said Party General Secretary and President Lâm.

He acknowledged that despite progress, economic cooperation between the two countries remains modest compared to its potential. He stressed that promoting direct air connectivity, particularly the opening of a direct route between Colombo and Hồ Chí Minh City, will be a practical and strategic step forward.

Outlining priorities for future cooperation, Party General Secretary and President Lâm suggested that both sides should prioritise logistics connectivity and cargo transshipment, areas that align with Sri Lanka’s strengths and Việt Nam’s need, to expand its economic reach into the Indian Ocean.

The two countries should accelerate cooperation in highly complementary sectors such as agriculture, food processing, textiles and garments, intermediary trade and services, where quick and tangible results can be achieved.

In addition, greater tourism connectivity and people-to-people exchanges should be promoted, as stronger human connections will naturally foster economic flows and mutual trust, stated the leader.

Party General Secretary and President Lâm, Sri Lankan PM Harini Amarasuriya and officials witness the exchange of cooperation documents between enterprises of the two countries.

The leader affirmed Việt Nam’s commitment to building a favourable, transparent and stable investment environment through continued institutional reform, administrative simplification, infrastructure development and improvements in human resources quality. Việt Nam, he stressed, safeguards the legitimate rights and interests of investors and stands ready to accompany businesses throughout project implementation.

Việt Nam is also transforming its governance model towards greater support for enterprises, creating favourable conditions for all lawful projects to be implemented effectively. Businesses, he said, should play a central and pioneering role in bilateral cooperation.

He stressed that Việt Nam–Sri Lanka cooperation should be viewed within the broader context of the Indian Ocean, South Asia and emerging global supply chains, emphasising that the key issue now is not potential, but swift, decisive and effective action.

Addressing the forum, PM Harini Amarasuriya said Việt Nam and Sri Lanka share a longstanding friendship grounded on mutual respect, shared values and close people-to-people ties. Over the years, bilateral relations have continued to deepen across a wide range of areas, including trade and investment, education, culture and tourism.

She noted that both sides are not only celebrating the strong foundations of cooperation but are also working towards a more dynamic, forward-looking and deeply integrated economic partnership, opening a new chapter in bilateral ties.

The Sri Lankan PM highlighted the forum as a concrete step towards the shared goal of raising bilateral trade turnover to US$1 billion by 2030, with a focus on diversifying product categories under the guidance of the two countries’ leaders.

Expressing her impression at Việt Nam's socio-economic achievements, she said Sri Lanka wishes to learn from Việt Nam’s development experience and further strengthen cooperation in trade facilitation and economic connectivity and collaboration. She noted that Sri Lankan enterprises have established around 30 investment projects in Việt Nam, reflecting their confidence in Việt Nam’s dynamic, stable and business-friendly environment.

The Sri Lankan leader encouraged Vietnamese enterprises to explore cooperation opportunities in key sectors such as trade and investment, education, agriculture and food processing, logistics and aviation, electronics and information technology, tourism and hospitality. Sri Lanka, she affirmed, is ready to be a reliable, open and future-oriented partner, while encouraging regular business delegations, reciprocal visits and continuous dialogue to build sustainable partnerships.

Party General Secretary and President Lâm, Sri Lankan PM Harini Amarasuriya and officials launch Vietnam Airlines' direct air route between Hồ Chí Minh City and Colombo.

At the forum, in the witness of Party General Secretary and President Lâm, Sri Lankan PM Amarasuriya, Vietnam Airlines officially pressed the button to open a direct air route between Hồ Chí Minh City and Colombo in October 2026.

Vietjet also announced the August opening of its direct Hồ Chí Minh City–Colombo service, marking the first direct air link between Việt Nam and Sri Lanka. The route represents a new milestone in Vietjet’s international network expansion strategy while contributing to stronger economic, trade, tourism and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The Hồ Chí Minh City–Colombo route is expected to operate four return flights per week. Through Vietjet’s extensive flight network, Colombo will be conveniently connected to major economic, tourism and financial hubs across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

On this occasion, Party General Secretary and President Lâm and PM Amarasuriya and senior leaders of both countries also witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between enterprises operating in tourism, agricultural processing, rubber, fertilisers and chemicals.

Earlier, the Vietnamese and Sri Lankan leaders visited a photo exhibition on Việt Nam–Sri Lanka relations organised by the Vietnam News Agency, as well as an exhibition showcasing Vietnamese products. — VNA/VNS