In the afternoon of May 8, local time, General Secretary and President To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation attended the Vietnam - Sri Lanka Trade, Investment and Tourism Cooperation Forum.
Also attending were Ms. Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister of the Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka; leaders of ministries and sectors; and a large number of businesses from both countries.
Speaking at the forum, General Secretary and President To Lam said that although economic cooperation between Vietnam and Sri Lanka has made certain progress, it is necessary to frankly recognize that the current scale is still modest compared to its potential.
Promoting direct aviation connectivity, especially the opening of a flight route between Colombo and Ho Chi Minh City, is a practical and strategic step.
General Secretary and President To Lam pointed out that in the coming time, Vietnam - Sri Lanka cooperation needs to be implemented in an effective, focused approach and towards specific results.
First of all, the two sides need to prioritize developing logistics connectivity and goods transshipment. This is an area suitable for Sri Lanka's advantages and Vietnam's needs in expanding its economic space to the Indian Ocean.
Second, promote complementary cooperation fields such as agriculture, food processing, textiles, intermediary trade and services. These are fields that can be deployed quickly and create clear efficiency.
Third, strengthen tourism connections and people-to-people exchanges. When people are connected, trust is strengthened, economic flows will develop naturally.
General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that Vietnam is committed to creating a favorable, transparent and stable investment environment. Vietnam is continuing to improve institutions, reform administrative procedures, develop infrastructure and improve the quality of human resources.
Vietnam ensures the legitimate rights and interests of investors, strengthens dialogue and accompanies businesses throughout the project implementation process; wishing Vietnam not only to be a place for investment, but also a place for long-term and sustainable development.
Vietnam is strongly transforming management methods towards serving and supporting businesses, creating conditions for all legal projects to be implemented smoothly and effectively.
Businesses need to play a central and pioneering role in cooperation between the two countries. The business communities of Vietnam and Sri Lanka will be more proactive and bolder in connecting, investing and expanding markets.
Vietnam - Sri Lanka cooperation needs to be viewed in a larger space: the space of the Indian Ocean, South Asia and the global supply chains that are forming. The issue is not only potential, but action - action quickly, drastically and effectively.
At the Vietnam - Sri Lanka Trade, Investment and Tourism Cooperation Forum, in the presence of General Secretary and President To Lam, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and senior leaders of the two countries, Vietnam Airlines pressed the button to open a direct flight route between Ho Chi Minh City - Colombo.
On this occasion, General Secretary and President To Lam, along with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and senior leaders of the two countries, witnessed the ceremony of handing over cooperation documents between a number of businesses in the fields of tourism, agricultural product processing, rubber, fertilizers, and chemicals.
