JOINT PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ
issued on the occasion of the State Visit of
His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
from 22nd to 24th October 2009

 

His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka undertook a State Visit to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam from 22nd to 24th October 2009 at the invitation of His Excellency Nguyen Minh Triet, President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. The President was accompanied by Hon. Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of Export Development and International Trade, Hon. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion, Hon. Alewi Mowlana, Governor, Western Province, senior officials and a group of business personnel.

The President of Sri Lanka was accorded an official welcome at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on 22 October 2009. His Excellency Nguyen Minh Triet held official discussions and hosted a State Banquet in his honour. H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa also met with H.E. Nong Duc Manh, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and H.E. Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of Viet Nam. During his stay in Hanoi, H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa placed a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in honour of the great leader of Viet Nam.

The bilateral discussions were held in an atmosphere of friendship, warmth and close understanding. The Heads of State noted the excellent state of the relations between Viet Nam and Sri Lanka. The President of Viet Nam congratulated President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the defeat of the LTTE in Sri Lanka and reaffirmed Viet Nam’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. President Nguyen Minh Triet expressed support for President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous nation. In response to Sri Lanka President’s request for assistance in clearing mined areas in the Northern province of Sri Lanka, the Vietnamese side agreed to consider cooperation with Sri Lanka in demining process.

H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa thanked the President and the Government of Viet Nam for their steadfast support to combat the LTTE in Sri Lanka, and in this context, for extending support to Sri Lanka at the UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council.

The two leaders also exchanged views on a number of regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern and agreed to continue to work together for the mutual benefit of the two countries based on the principle of non interference.

The President of Sri Lanka congratulated Viet Nam for her impressive economic development recorded during the renovation process and expressed Sri Lanka’s felicitations for Viet Nam’s achievements in foreign affairs, including its successful assumption of the role as a non permanent member of the UN Security Council and its forthcoming ascend to the Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2010.

The President of Viet Nam felicitated the President of Sri Lanka for the important contribution made by Sri Lanka as Chair of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) and G-15, and as a member of ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

The discussions covered a wide range of matters of mutual interest which included trade and investment promotion, agriculture, cultural cooperation, air services and defence and transnational crime prevention. Both leaders agreed to encourage bilateral trade and set the target of 100 million US$ for two-way trade volume by the year 2012.

The two leaders welcomed the successful conclusion of the Second Session of the Joint Commission between the two countries which was held in August 2009 in Sri Lanka. The Joint Commission was recognized as an effective mechanism to further enhance bilateral relations between the two countries in many spheres of cooperation.

The Viet Nam President announced his country’s decision to reopen a resident Embassy in Colombo. The President of Sri Lanka welcomed this announcement and expressed confidence that a resident Vietnamese Mission in Colombo would help to further strengthen the friendship between the two countries in developing a comprehensive partnership with Viet Nam.

At the conclusion of the officials talks between the two Presidents, a number of agreements were signed between the two countries, that included:

i. Agreement between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on Protection and Promotion of Investments;

ii. Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Public Security of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on Preventing and Combating Crimes;

iii. 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 Viet Nam

iv. Agreement on the Work plan for the year 2010 – 2013 between the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on the field of Fisheries Cooperation;

v. Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation between and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism of Viet Nam;

The President and the Sri Lanka delegation also visited Ho Chi Minh City, the main commercial centre of Viet Nam and were received by H.E. Le Hoang Quan, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.

The President of Sri Lanka inaugurated the Viet Nam – Sri Lanka Business Forum which was jointly organized by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Foreign Investment Agency of the Ministry of Planning and Investments together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka in Ho Chi Minh City. The Business Forum was attended by business leaders of the two countries together with dignitaries of the two Governments. The Forum acknowledged the increase of the trade volume between the two countries.

H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa extended an invitation to H.E. Nguyen Minh Triet, President of Viet Nam to undertake a State Visit to Sri Lanka in a convenient time. President Nguyen Minh Triet accepted the invitation with pleasure. The specific dates for the visit would be discussed through diplomatic channels.

24 October, 2009
Viet Nam