Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka and Sweden held their inaugural round of virtual bilateral political consultations at the senior official level on November 9, 2023.
This meeting occurred on the eve of the forthcoming 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, set to be commemorated in 2024.
The discussions centred on fortifying the existing multifaceted partnership and exploring new avenues for enhanced cooperation.
Key areas of focus included reinforcing the bilateral partnership in ICT, Science and Technology, Climate Change & Environment, and economic collaboration.
The two sides also engaged in dialogue regarding cooperation in multilateral forums.
The Sri Lankan delegation expressed a keen interest in investigating potential institutional collaborations and capacity-building initiatives in Research and Development (R&D), ICT, and the education sector.
Furthermore, discussions included the possibility of high-level visits from Sweden to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024.
Co-chaired by Yasoja Gunasekera, Additional Secretary/Bilateral Affairs (West) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, and Oscar Schlyter, Head of the Department for Asia, the Pacific region, and Latin America of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, these consultations signified a strategic step towards strengthening bilateral ties and fostering collaborative initiatives.
