Sri Lanka, Bangladesh hold foreign office talks after 8 years

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh held the fourth round of Foreign Office Consultations here on Thursday after an eight-year gap, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

This was co-chaired by Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Aruni Ranaraja and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, the statement said.

Sri Lanka highlighted its investments and diaspora presence in Bangladesh and invited Bangladeshi investors to take part in development projects, logistics services, cultivation, and tourism-related ventures in Sri Lanka, the ministry said.

Colombo also discussed expanding collaboration in banking services to support financial stability, expressed interest in partnering on Green Tourism initiatives, and explored strengthening maritime connectivity.

Sri Lanka proposed increasing annual training slots for Bangladeshi nurses and welcomed enhanced cooperation between the two national news agencies, the statement said.

Bangladesh, appreciating existing Sri Lankan investments, invited further investment from Sri Lanka, especially in pharmaceuticals, hospitality, tourism, automobiles and light engineering, renewable energy, agro-processing, leather and footwear.

Bangladesh also invited Sri Lankan farmers for exposure visits, offered cooperation in the livestock sector, expressed interest in Sri Lanka's expertise in deep-sea fishing, the statement said.

Both sides agreed to work on trade facilitation, enhance private-sector engagement, and finalize pending legal instruments to boost trade, investment and connectivity.

According to Sri Lanka's Export Development Board, Bangladesh is the 12th export destination for Sri Lanka. The total export value from Sri Lanka to Bangladesh was 241.54 million U.S. dollars in 2024 and total imports from Bangladesh for the same period were 83.79 million dollars.