May 07, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka and Türkiye have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral relations following the successful conclusion of the second round of political consultations held in Ankara earlier this week.
The discussions, which took place at Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (05), brought together senior officials from both countries to review ongoing cooperation and identify new opportunities for partnership across several strategic sectors.
Representing Sri Lanka was Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Director General of the Europe and North America Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Turkish delegation was led by Ambassador Cihad Erginay, Director General for South Asia at Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry.
According to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry, the talks reflected the growing importance both nations place on maintaining close diplomatic engagement and strengthening ties rooted in long-standing friendship, mutual respect and shared international interests.
The consultations covered a broad range of subjects, including political relations, economic cooperation, trade, defence collaboration, maritime affairs, education, scientific research and regional security developments. Both sides also explored ways to encourage greater investment and business partnerships, particularly in industries such as renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, tourism, logistics and emerging technologies.
Sri Lanka also conveyed its appreciation to the Turkish government for the humanitarian support provided following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. Officials from both countries discussed the possibility of further collaboration in recovery efforts, infrastructure development and long-term resilience planning.
Defence and security cooperation featured prominently during the discussions, with both delegations expressing interest in enhancing institutional partnerships, training opportunities and knowledge-sharing initiatives between the two countries.
The talks additionally focused on improving connectivity between Sri Lanka and Türkiye, including strengthening aviation links between Colombo and Istanbul and expanding cooperation in maritime services and blue economy initiatives linked to the Indian Ocean region.
Education and innovation were identified as important areas for future collaboration, with both governments emphasising the need to accelerate pending agreements relating to higher education, vocational training and scientific exchange programmes.
The delegations also exchanged views on several international and regional developments, including evolving situations in West Asia, South Asia and the wider Indian Ocean region. Both countries reaffirmed their support for multilateral diplomacy and pledged continued cooperation within the United Nations and other international platforms.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry noted that the successful consultations demonstrated the strong political commitment of both governments to elevate relations further and pursue closer cooperation aimed at economic growth, regional stability and shared prosperity.