Viet Nam-Sri Lanka Business Forum held in Colombo

The event saw the participation of General Secretary, President of Viet Nam To Lam, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and representatives of more than 300 businesses from both sides.

According to the top Vietnamese leader, if effectively connected, Sri Lanka could become Viet Nam's strategic transshipment hub to the Indian Ocean while Viet Nam could serve as a gateway for Sri Lanka to gain deeper access to ASEAN region and global markets.

The bilateral trade remains modest, he said, adding that the two-way investment has yet to match the potential of the relationship, and tourism connectivity and people-to-people exchanges are still limited.

He urged both sides to promote cooperation in highly complementary sectors such as agriculture, food processing, textiles and garments, trade, and services.

Viet Nam is continuing to improve its institutional framework, reform administrative procedures, develop infrastructure, and enhance the quality of its human resources, reiterated To Lam.

The Southeast Asian nation ensures the lawful rights and interests of investors, while strengthening dialogue and accompanying businesses throughout the project implementation process, he added.

Viet Nam places particular importance on policy stability and predictability, while also strongly transforming its governance approach toward serving and supporting businesses, thereby creating favorable conditions for lawful projects to be implemented smoothly and effectively, underlined To Lam.

Addressing the event, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka emphasized that Viet Nam and Sri Lanka are determined to working toward achieving the trade goal of US$1 billion by 2030.

Sri Lankan businesses have invested in around 30 projects in Viet Nam, reflecting their confidence in the nation's dynamic, stable, and business-friendly environment, shared the host.

In the presence of General Secretary and President To Lam, and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, national carrier Viet Nam Airlines officially launched a direct flight route between Ho Chi Minh City and Colombo.

In addition, budget carrier Vietjet also officially announced a direct route between Ho Chi Minh City and Colombo, marking a new milestone in the carrier's strategy to expand its international flight network, while also contributing to stronger economic, trade, tourism, and people-to-people cooperation between the two countries.

The Ho Chi Minh City–Colombo route is expected to commence operations in August 2026 with four round-trip flights per week.

The occasion, both leaders witnessed the exchange of cooperation agreements among businesses operating in tourism, agricultural processing, rubber, fertilizer, and chemical industries./.