Hanoi (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam hosted a reception for Sri Lankan Pres🎃ident Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), in Hanoi on May 4.

General Secretary Lam warmly welcomed President Dissanayaka, who is paying a state visit to Vietnam and attending the 20th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations (Vesak 2025), noting the significance of the trip as it coincides with the 55th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. He expressed appreciation for the President’s participation in the Vesak celebrations opening ceremony, during which he will deliver a keynote address. The host thanked his guest for the congratulatory message on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification, emphasising that this historic milestone is not only significant for the Vietnamese people but also meaningful to international friends, including Sri Lanka, who stood in solidarity with and supported Vietnam’s struggles for national independence. The General Secretary congratulated President Dissanayaka and the JVP—the core party in the ruling National People's Power (NPP) alliance—on their victory in Sri Lanka’s national elections in late 2024. He expressed his belief that under the President’s leadership, Sri Lanka will achieve substantial socio-economic progress and national stability, successfully realising its goal of becoming a developed country by 2048, which marks its centenary. President Dissanayaka reaffirmed the close and longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and Vietnam, characterised by mutual support through various historical periods. He extended congratulations to the Vietnamese Party, State, and people on the 50th anniversary of their historic April 30 victory, stating that it was not only a triumph for the Vietnamese people but also for Sri Lanka and peace-loving nations around the world.

The visiting leader expressed admiration for Vietnam’s remarkable economic achievements, noting that in just 50 years since reunification, Vietnam has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies globally, with rising international standing and prestige. He voiced his country’s interest in learning from Vietnam’s experiences in economic development, institutional reform, corruption combat, and national governance. Both sides noted with satisfaction the sustainable development of their countries' traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation over the past 55 years. They acknowledged that the two countries have built deep strategic trust and close collaboration across multiple fields, particularly politics, diplomacy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. They emphasised that long-standing friendship, mutual trust, and understanding provide a vital foundation for both nations to further leverage their respective strengths and enhance cooperation, thus generating mutual benefits and contributing to regional development and stability. The two leaders agreed to further strengthen trust and cohesion between the two countries and their ruling parties. They agreed to step up all-level exchanges and turn defence - security cooperation into a new pillar of the bilateral relationship. Besides, they also highlighted the importance of making breakthroughs in economic, trade, and investment ties to help effectively respond to the rapidly evolving global political and economic landscape. General Secretary Lam affirmed that with its advantages, Vietnam is ready to accompany and cooperate with Sri Lanka in socio-economic development. In reply, President Dissanayaka pledged to facilitate Vietnamese investments in key and strategic sectors in his country. The two sides also agreed to further broaden cooperation in agriculture, education, culture, tourism, religion, and people-to-people exchanges, and to accelerate the launch of a direct air route to foster bilateral cooperation and connectivity. Furthermore, the leaders vowed closer coordination and stronger mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations and South-South cooperation frameworks. General Secretary Lam commended Sri Lanka’s active role in the UN and welcomed its efforts to strengthen ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On this occasion, President Dissanayaka extended an invitation to General Secretary Lam to visit Sri Lanka. The Vietnamese leader expressed his appreciation and assigned the two foreign ministries to make appropriate arrangements./.