Vietnamese President To Lam, who also serves as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee, arrived in Sri Lanka on the evening of May 7th for a two-day official state visit. He is scheduled to depart on May 8th.
President Lam's visit follows an invitation extended by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and is part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, including President Dissanayake's planned 2025 state visit to Vietnam to commemorate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The highlight of President Lam's visit will be a special address to the Sri Lankan Parliament on May 8th, expected around 11:05 a.m. The decision for this parliamentary address and related proceedings was made during a Committee on Parliamentary Business meeting held on April 27th, chaired by Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, and confirmed by Secretary General of Parliament Ms. Kushani Rohanadeera. Parliament is currently scheduled to convene from May 5th to May 8th.
During his visit, President Lam is expected to engage in discussions with President Dissanayake and other prominent political figures. Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), which have already received Cabinet approval, are scheduled to be signed between Sri Lanka and Vietnam. These agreements will cover cooperation in key areas including:
* Information and communication
* Cultural cooperation
* Religious cooperation
* Police training and scientific research
Specifically, an MoU concerning cooperation in the information and communication sector will be signed between Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine and Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
President Lam arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with a high-level delegation of approximately 200 people. To facilitate the visit, the Sri Lanka Police have implemented a special traffic plan in Colombo, which will be in effect on May 7th and 8th.
Prior to his arrival in Sri Lanka, President To Lam concluded a state visit to India, where he held discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their talks focused on regional and global issues, with Prime Minister Modi congratulating President Lam on his second term and expressing confidence in Vietnam's continued development under his leadership. Discussions also touched upon India's national development, economic growth, strengthening multilateralism, and cooperation in the Global South.