Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Sri Lanka and Vietnam signed five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on Friday aimed at strengthening cooperation across several strategic sectors, AzerNEWS reports, citing Xinhua.

The agreements were signed at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo in the presence of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and visiting Vietnamese President To Lam, who also serves as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee.

The newly signed MoUs cover a range of areas, including police training, scientific research, cultural exchange programs, and cooperation in information and communication technologies. Officials from both countries described the agreements as an important step toward deepening long-term regional ties.

In a significant diplomatic development, Vietnam and Sri Lanka also officially upgraded their bilateral relationship to a “comprehensive partnership,” according to the Vietnam News Agency. The move reflects growing economic and geopolitical cooperation between the two Asian nations.

During a joint press briefing following their talks, both leaders emphasized their commitment to expanding trade and investment links. They pledged to introduce new measures aimed at increasing bilateral trade turnover to 1 billion U.S. dollars in the near future.

The two sides also agreed to begin working toward a future bilateral agreement on trade and investment, which could further boost business opportunities, tourism, and technology exchange between the countries.

Analysts note that Vietnam’s rapidly growing manufacturing economy and Sri Lanka’s strategic location along major Indian Ocean shipping routes could make the partnership increasingly important for regional trade networks. Some experts believe the cooperation may also strengthen broader economic connectivity between South Asia and Southeast Asia at a time when many countries are seeking alternatives to traditional global supply chains.