Launch of the Special Issue on Sri Lanka of Viet Nam Journal of Indian and South Asian Studies

Launch of the Special Issue on Sri Lanka of Viet Nam Journal of Indian and South Asian Studies

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Viet Nam, in association with the Vietnam Institute for Indian and Southwest Asian Studies (VIISAS) and Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) officially launched a Special Issue of the Viet Nam Journal for Indian and South Asian Studies (VIJAS), for the month of September 2021, on the 22nd of October 2021. The Special covers the areas of economics, history, diplomacy, investment, agriculture, and tourism, focusing on bilateral relations and regional and international dynamics, with contributions from distinguished scholars from both countries. The launch was conducted virtually in Ha Noi and Colombo, with the participation of Foreign Secretary, Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage, Prof. (Dr.) Dang Nguyen Anh, Vice-President of VASS, Dr. Pham Cao Cuong, Standing Deputy Director-General of VIISAS, Prasanna Gamage, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Viet Nam, Mdm. Ho Thi Thanh Truc, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Sri Lanka, and all contributors from Sri Lanka, academics and researchers of VASS and senior officials of the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka. The special issue also coincides with the 51st anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Sri Lanka and the 10th anniversary of the VASS.

                          
Prof. Emeritus, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Bangladesh, Sudharshan Seneviratne, Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, Senior Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies of the National University of Singapore, Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara and Ms. Poongthai Ratnavadivel of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Mr. George I H Cooke of the University of Colombo and Ms. Nimesha Dissanayaka of the Institute of Policy Studies and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau provided valuable contributions under the themes: Redefining Region, Identity & Ideology: perspectives on historic South Central Asia, A Post-COVID World: How Sri Lanka Could Become South Asia’s Dubai, Comparative Review of the Socioeconomic Development Journeys of Vietnam and Sri Lanka, Asian Allies: Revisiting Bandung to realize the Asian Century (60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement), Evaluating Profitability and Competitiveness of Vegetable Farming systems of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka as a Cultural Diversity Destination, respectively. Ms. Tran Ngoc Diem (MA), Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung (MA), and Ms. Pham Thuy Nguyen (MA) spoke from Viet Nam on Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy and prospects of Sri Lanka – Viet Nam Relations, Covid 19’s impact on export activities: A case study of Sri Lanka, and Competition between India and China on FDI in Sri Lanka, respectively.

                        
This is the first instance that an academic journal has been published in Vietnamese language on Sri Lanka-Viet Nam relations, showcasing broader perspectives, with contributions from scholars from both countries.

Prof. (Dr) Dang Nguyen Anh, in his opening remarks, praised the longstanding, warm and cordial bilateral relations between Viet Nam and Sri Lanka and noted the increasing cooperation between the VASS and Sri Lanka over the last two years. Prof. Anh also applauded the webinar conducted last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Sri Lanka, jointly organized by the VASS and the LKI of Sri Lanka. Foreign Secretary Colombage also highlighted the outstanding aspects of Sri Lanka and Viet Nam’s multifaceted relations and deep-rooted bond nurtured by generations of leaders of the two countries. He also emphasized the three main pillars of Sri Lanka’s governance under President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa: national security, economic development, and foreign relations. Foreign Secretary maintained that these key policies intend for Sri Lanka to shift from traditional political diplomacy to economic diplomacy, although this by no means signifies that Sri Lanka undervalues the importance and significance of political diplomacy. Rather, with this new shift of paradigm, Sri Lanka aims to position itself as an emerging economy aspiring to enhance investment, trade, employment links, etc. especially with the South Asian and Southeast Asian countries who are Sri Lanka’s long-standing friends.

                           
Contributors from both countries and the academics and researchers of the VASS engaged in a lively interactive session, moderated by Dr. Cuong, in which perspectives and opinions were shared on their respective thematic areas as contributed to by themselves.

Ambassadors Gamage and Truc also spoke briefly at the event, underscoring the need to further broaden and deepen the bilateral partnership between Sri Lanka and Viet Nam.

Dr. Le Thi Hang Nga, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of VIJAS, compered the event and delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of the VIISAS, and Ms. Prasadi Boomawalage, Commercial Secretary of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Viet Nam, proposed the Vote for Thanks from Sri Lanka.

Embassy of Sri Lanka
Ha Noi

22 October 2021