Foreign Minister Ali Sabry met Dr. Peter Ramsauer, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Parliament in charge of bilateral relations with Sri Lanka at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during his visit to Sri Lanka from 15 to 18 February 2023.
Discussions with the German delegation centred around further expanding the cordial relations that exist between the two countries, particularly in the context of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Germany being commemorated this year.
While appreciating Germany’s longstanding development cooperation partnership with Sri Lanka, Minister Sabry highlighted the significant contribution to the economy through the expansion of vocational training provided by the German Technical Training Institutes located across the country. The Foreign Minister welcomed the close collaboration between the two countries on several projects and reviewed progress on the “Helmut Kohl” Maternity Hospital in Galle. The two sides discussed avenues for expanding cooperation in trade & investment, tourism and parliamentary affairs. The Foreign Minister briefed the German side on current political developments in the country, including on measures taken to restore peace and stability, discussions with the IMF, and progress on debt restructuring.
Dr. Ramsauer was accompanied by the Ambassador of Germany to Sri Lanka Holger Seubert and former Member of Parliament and current Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in Munich Dagmar Wöhrl. Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also present at the meeting.
During the visit, Dr Ramsauer also paid a courtesy call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The visiting envoy and the delegation also met the State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
21 February, 2023
