The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, is on mission in Sri Lanka for a visit of significant importance in the relations between the two countries, marking the first political presence of an Italian government representative in ten years.
The Undersecretary held the first round of political consultations between Italy and Sri Lanka, following the signing of the Memorandum on the Mechanism for biennial high-level Political Consultations, with a focus on strengthening cooperation in the political, economic, consular, scientific and technological fields. Tripodi reaffirmed the priority of diversifying exports and of consolidating trade, investment and tourism ties.
During her day in Colombo, the Undersecretary held fruitful talks with the Prime Minister, Harini Amarasuriya, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath. “We have come to Colombo with the clear objective of strengthening bilateral relations through support for sustainable investments, the safeguarding of exports and the backing of Italian enterprises in strategic sectors,” stated the Undersecretary, placing the visit within the strategy launched by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, on growth diplomacy.
Among the topics discussed with the Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, Arun Hemachandra, were energy transition and food security, as well as cooperation in the fields of education and culture, along with migration and mobility. Finally, the talks also addressed the main regional and international issues, such as the Indo-Pacific strategy, EU–Sri Lanka relations and cooperation within the United Nations, including in relation to key crisis areas.
