September 14, Colombo (LNW): Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath is due to leave Sri Lanka today for an official visit to Thailand aimed at advancing cooperation between the two countries in several key areas.
The visit, which will continue until 16 September, comes at the invitation of Thailand’s Minister of Labour. During his stay, Herath is expected to meet Thailand’s Labour Minister, the Minister of Tourism and the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The talks are expected to examine ways of broadening bilateral engagement, with particular attention to areas where both countries have shared economic and social interests.
Labour cooperation is expected to feature prominently on the agenda. Sri Lanka and Thailand are preparing to formalise closer collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding on labour cooperation, alongside an agreement covering the employment of Sri Lankan workers in Thailand.
The proposed arrangements could provide a more structured framework for labour mobility between the two countries, while opening further opportunities for Sri Lankan workers seeking employment in the Thai market.
Tourism is also expected to be a major component of the discussions, with the two sides looking at ways to increase practical cooperation and strengthen people-to-people links.
According to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry, the visit is intended to give fresh momentum to bilateral economic relations while expanding cooperation in tourism, employment, migration and labour mobility.
