Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam calls on Sri Lanka - Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association to advance bilateral ties
WVR - On 25 November 2025, Ambassador of Vietnam to Sri Lanka Trinh Thi Tam paid a courtesy call on Minister of Environment of Sri Lanka Dammika Patabandige, President of the Sri Lanka–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association.
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| The meeting between Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam and Dammika Patabandige, Minister of Environment of Sri Lanka and President of the Sri Lanka–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association. |
The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the environmental sector and advancing the work of the Sri Lanka – Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association in the coming year.
During the discussion, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam briefed the Minister on the key follow-ups of the visit to Sri Lanka by Vice Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Duc Hai, in March 2025. She highlighted the active high-level exchanges between the two countries, including the State visit of the President of Sri Lanka to Vietnam in May 2025, during which five important cooperation agreements were signed. The Ambassador also noted the positive momentum in bilateral mechanisms, including the upcoming meeting of the Viet Nam–Sri Lanka Trade Sub-Committee scheduled in December 2025.
The Ambassador further shared updates on Vietnam’s domestic developments, including preparations for the 14th National Party Congress to be held in January 2026 and the ongoing government restructuring aimed at enhancing administrative efficiency.
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| Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam (second from right) paid a courtesy call on Dammika Patabandige, Minister of Environment of Sri Lanka and President of the Sri Lanka–Viet Nam Parliamentary Friendship Association. |
Reviewing recent achievements in bilateral relations, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam highlighted the Embassy’s initiatives throughout 2025 to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Sri Lanka diplomatic relations (1970-2025). These commemorations were aimed at enhancing cultural, educational, and people-to-people links between the two countries. She also noted that ten Sri Lankan students were awarded scholarships to pursue studies at Cuu Long University and the Post and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT) in Vietnam, about 3000 Vietnamese tourists have arrived in Sri Lanka for the first 10 months, reflecting growing education and tourism cooperation.
Looking ahead, the Ambassador expressed optimism regarding the expected establishment of direct flights between the two countries by 2026. She emphasised that this development would significantly ease travel constraints, reduce transit times in Sri Lanka, and create new opportunities for tourism, trade, and investment.
In the field of environmental cooperation, noting that both Vietnam and Sri Lanka have been coping with negative impacts, including flooding and land-sliding, from climate change, Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam proposed two counties consider setting up a framework to enhance collaboration on shared environmental priorities, not onl at national but regional and international level.
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| Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam and Dammika Patabandige, Minister of Environment of Sri Lanka and President of the Sri Lanka–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association. |
Minister Patabandige briefed the Ambassador on Sri Lanka’s plan to present a resolution on children and youth engagement in environmental activities at the upcoming UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi in December 2025. The Minister sought Vietnam’s support for this initiative and proposed a bilateral meeting between the two environment ministers on the occasion of UNEA. He also requested Vietnam’s proposed workplan for the Sri Lanka–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association for 2026.
The meeting also included an exchange of views on issues of mutual concern, including the impacts of environmental hazards, the implications of global tariff developments, and broader socio-economic challenges faced by both countries.
The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of Vietnam and Sri Lanka to deepen cooperation across key sectors and to further strengthen the enduring friendship between the two nations.
