Awakening the cooperation potential between Vietnam and Sri Lanka
WVR - Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trinh Thi Tam shares with The World & Vietnam Report about the outstanding results of economic diplomacy in the first half of 2026, as well as the directions and tasks for the second half of the year.
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| General Secretary, President To Lam and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake meet the press during the state visit to Sri Lanka. (Source: VNA) |
Madam Ambassador, what are the most outstanding and substantial results of the Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka in economic diplomacy and local support during the first half of 2026?
Sri Lanka and the Maldives are two markets that are not large in scale, still facing many difficulties and risks, and not yet truly attractive to Vietnamese businesses. However, these are markets with significant potential for cooperation, especially in tourism, trade, investment, agriculture, fisheries, education, logistics, and services.
I believe the key difficulty currently is the lack of information, connectivity, and business interest. Recognizing this, and continuing the momentum from 2025, in the first half of 2026, the Embassy has intensified the provision of information and business connections between the two countries; promoting Vietnamese products of interest to Sri Lanka, with a focus on achieving results in cooperation in aviation, tourism, logistics, agricultural trade, and science and technology.
One of the standout results is the successful organization of the Vietnam-Sri Lanka Trade, Investment, and Tourism Forum during the state visit to Sri Lanka by General Secretary, President To Lam in May 2026, attended by hundreds of businesses from both countries and the signing of cooperation agreements and contracts in fertilizers, aviation, tourism, and import-export. The Vietnam Goods Exhibition in Colombo and the Vietnam Goods Week in Sri Lanka were successfully held on this occasion, contributing to promoting the image, brand, and strong products of Vietnam to local consumers and businesses, especially in agricultural products, processed foods, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, and consumer goods.
Notably, the Embassy has facilitated procedures and supported the official inauguration of direct flights between Colombo and Ho Chi Minh City by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air. This is a significant step forward after more than 30 years since the two countries first signed the Air Services Agreement in 1992, creating momentum and paving the way for trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
The Embassy has also successfully advocated for the establishment of the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Business Council (separated from the Mekong Business Council); continuing to actively support Vietnamese businesses and localities in exploring investment opportunities in seaport logistics, high-tech agriculture, renewable energy, food processing, trade, tourism, and more.
Additionally, the Embassy continues to actively promote the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding from the 3rd Session of the Vietnam-Sri Lanka Joint Trade Sub-Committee (December 2025), contributing to realizing the goal of raising bilateral trade turnover to 1 billion USD by 2030.
| Politburo Member, Minister Le Hoai Trung assessed that the upgrade of Vietnam-Sri Lanka relations to a Comprehensive Partnership reflects the strengthening of trust and the expansion of substantial cooperation in the new context and new requirements. Both sides are committed to continuing to consolidate and enhance cooperation, friendship, establishing high-level political trust, expanding the scale and depth of cooperation in a comprehensive and substantial manner across all fields; agreeing to increase bilateral trade turnover fivefold in the coming years. |
Vietnam and Sri Lanka have just upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Partnership with many agreements signed during our high-level leadership visit in May 2026. According to you, what new opportunities will this upgrade open for economic cooperation between the two countries?
The upgrade of Vietnam-Sri Lanka relations to a Comprehensive Partnership after 55 years of diplomatic relations holds significant historical importance, creating a favorable political foundation to promote deeper economic-trade-investment cooperation in the coming phase.
The five government documents signed this time, along with numerous cooperation agreements/contracts by businesses, not only expand the cooperation framework but also send a strong message about the determination of leaders and businesses from both countries to take bilateral relations to a new, more substantial, and mutually beneficial phase.
The greatest opportunity lies in the potential to connect two highly complementary economies. Vietnam is a dynamic production, processing, and export hub of ASEAN; while Sri Lanka holds a strategic position on the Indian Ocean maritime route, serving as a gateway connecting South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. This is an advantage that Vietnamese businesses should pay more attention to in their strategy to expand into the South Asian and Indian Ocean markets. Besides traditional trade, both sides have room for cooperation in logistics, seaports, aviation, digital transformation, high-tech agriculture, renewable energy, and tourism.
The most promising field is seaport logistics and goods transshipment. Ports like Colombo are conveniently located to become transshipment points for Vietnamese goods to South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Many Sri Lankan corporations have also expressed a desire to cooperate with Vietnam in developing supply chains, warehousing, and maritime transport.
Secondly, tourism and aviation. In 2025, Sri Lanka welcomed about 2.36 million international tourists, and the tourism industry is recovering strongly. The newly opened direct flights between the two countries are expected to facilitate an increase in two-way tourist flows, developing Buddhist tourism, beach resorts, and cultural experience tourism. Additionally, reviewing investment agreements and double taxation avoidance will also contribute to improving the business environment, encouraging bilateral investment flows.
A highlight is the new developments in science and technology, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in this field, along with meetings and work with Sri Lankan partners on innovation and the digital economy by the Steering Committee of Resolution 57.
Furthermore, the two countries can enhance cooperation in agriculture, food processing, fisheries, and marine economy. Sri Lanka has extensive experience in developing high-quality tea, cinnamon, rubber, and organic agriculture; while Vietnam has strengths in processing, mechanization, and agricultural exports. These are areas where the two countries can fully complement each other.
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| Vietjet opens its first flight route to Sri Lanka. (Source: Vietjet) |
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| Vietnam Airlines opens its first flight route to Sri Lanka. (Source: VNA) |
In the second half of 2026, what are the key focuses of economic diplomacy that the Embassy plans to promote to support businesses, localities, and expand substantial cooperation between the two countries?
In the coming period, the Embassy will continue to implement economic diplomacy with a focus on serving businesses and localities as the center, while effectively deploying the results achieved during the state visit to Sri Lanka by General Secretary, President To Lam.
The top priority is to coordinate with relevant agencies and businesses from both countries to effectively exploit the direct flights opened this year between Vietnam and Sri Lanka. This is expected to become an important driver to boost trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
The Embassy will continue to support Vietnamese businesses in expanding exports to the Sri Lankan market, including products in high demand such as fertilizers, agricultural machinery, processed foods, consumer goods, seafood, and industrial products. Efforts to provide market information, connect businesses, and assist in addressing difficulties related to import procedures, technical standards, and market access will be intensified.
The Embassy will also coordinate with ministries, associations, and localities to organize market survey delegations, trade promotion forums, and specialized fairs to support Vietnamese businesses in gaining deeper access to the Sri Lankan, Maldivian, and broader South Asian markets.
Additionally, the Embassy will promote cooperation in strategic fields such as logistics, seaports, renewable energy, high-tech agriculture, tourism, science and technology, and digital transformation. The goal is to promote specific cooperation projects, create long-term linkages, and effectively implement signed agreements, contributing to the goal of raising bilateral trade turnover to 1 billion USD in the coming years.
It is believed that with high political determination and close coordination between ministries, businesses, and the Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka, the results of the recent visit by General Secretary, President To Lam will be realized, contributing to deepening bilateral relations and positively contributing to Vietnam's double-digit growth target.
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