Boost for Lanka, Vietnam ties

VIETNAM: Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka and Vietnamese leaders agreed to boost their Nations' multi-faceted ties during the first visit to the country by a Sri Lankan Prime Minister in nearly 30 years.

At the Presidential Palace, Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet spoke with the guests including Agricultural Development Minister Chamal Rajapaksa expressing his delight to have a Sri Lankan Prime Minister visiting the country.

President Triet said the Vietnamese people and the Government highly appreciated the Sri Lankan Government's efforts to ensure stability for its people.

He said Vietnam would fully support Sri Lanka's policy on expanding further co-operation with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Wickramanayaka thanked the Vietnamese President for the Vietnamese people and their leaders extending a warm welcome to the Sri Lankan delegation. He also congratulated Vietnam on its successful organisation of the 14th APEC leaders meeting and its marked economic revival.

The Prime Minister said his country would always welcome the Vietnamese business community seeking opportunities to do business or invest in Sri Lanka.

He also said Sri Lankan enterprises would like to come to Vietnam for investment and business opportunities.

At the Government Office, Prime Minister Wickramanayaka had talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung where the two agreed to increase bilateral cooperation based on the existing strong political relationship between the two countries.

The two Prime Ministers agreed to promote co-operation in trade investment, agriculture industry, education and training.

Tourism culture and creating a favourable condition for Buddhist groups to extend cooperation were also high on the agenda.

The two countries also agreed to increase visits of senior officials, experts and others at provincial, sectoral and local levels to improve mutual understanding.

Both Prime Ministers expressed pleasure in assisting each other in regional and international forums including Sri Lanka's support for Vietnam's non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in 2008-2009 and Vietnam's support for Sri Lanka's dialogue partnership with Asian.

Dung also thanked Sri Lankans for supporting the Vietnamese people during their struggle for national liberation in the past as well as during the country's recent rebuilding period.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister said Wickramanayaka's official visit would further contribute to the long-time friendship of the Vietnamese and Sri Lankans who achieved numerous accomplishments in national reconciliation and in economic development.

Prime Minister Wickramanayaka expressed hope that Vietnam would soon open a representative office in Sri Lanka to accelerate bilateral co-operation.

After the talks, the two Prime Ministers witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on agricultural co-operation. Minister Chamal Rajapaksa signed the memorandum on behalf of Sri Lanka.

Wickramanayaka also visited the Vietnam Buddhist Institute in Hanoi where he highlighted the systematic study of the religion and his hope for an expanded relationship with Buddhist followers, nuns and monks.