Sri Lanka and the Government of Vietnam signed five agreements strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries yesterday (Oct. 22).

Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Vietnam's Planning and Investment Minister Vo Hon Phuc signed a agreement on 'Protection and Promotion of Investments'.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rohitha Bogollagama and the Permanent Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Danh Thai on 'Cultural Cooperation', between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage of Sri Lanka.

A work plan for the year 2010-2011 on Agriculture Development Cooperation between the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam was signed by Minister Bogollagama and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vu Van Tam.

They also signed an agreement on work plan for the year 2010-2013, an agreement pertaining to ‘Technical Assistance from the Government of Vietnam for Aquaculture between the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Fisheries of Vietnam.

Both parties entered into an agreement on ‘Cooperation Agreement on Prevention and Combating Crime’ between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and Ministry of Defence, Law and Order of Sri Lanka signed by Gamini Senerath, Additional Secretary and Chief of Staff to President and Permanent Deputy Minister of Public Security, Nguyen Khanh Toan.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Vietnamese counterpart witnessed the signing of the agreements for cooperation between the two countries.