Meeting with Vice Chairman of the External Commission of Communist Party of Viet Nam
The delegation of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Viet Nam including both the Minister Counsellor, Mahesh Premethilaka and Ambassador Prof A. Saj U. Mendis had a meeting with Mr. Truong Hoai Nam, Vice Chairman of the External Commission of Communist Party on 18th of July 2023. The cordial and intensely focused discussion lasted nearly 45 minutes. Mr. Vice Chairman is amongst the highest-ranking and most powerful official in the Communist Party focused on directing and administering foreign affairs of Viet Nam.
Ambassador Mendis praised Viet Nam for its accomplishments in boosting the economy, investment and trade activities, commending that Viet Nam attracted USD 21 billion in 2022 and expects to attract USD 34 billion in 2023. He also noted that with a bilateral trade of USD 732 billion in 2022, Viet Nam is placed amongst the most traded countries in the world. Against this backdrop, Ambassador expressed his expectation that both the countries could exploit each other’s untapped potential to raise the bilateral trade to a new height, as the figure is modestly in the vicinity of less than USD 300 million at this juncture. Further, Ambassador Mendis was heartened to note that a direct flights between the two countries could be established in the nearest future to promote the connectivity between Ha Noi and Colombo with focused on trade, tourism and people-to-people exchange.
During the discussion, Ambassador Mendis stated that the constant cooperation and close collaboration with the External Commission have profoundly facilitated the Embassy to fulfill its mission and objectives. The two sides pledged to continue their joint work and take efficacious courses of action in order to accelerate and execute the discussed plans and projects.
