Sri Lankan Prime Minister proposes that Vietnam share its agricultural development experience

On the occasion of attending the 37th Session of the Regional Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for Asia-Pacific, the delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, led by Minister Le Minh Hoan, combined their visit with a trip to Sri Lanka from February 19 to 21 to enhance agricultural cooperation. During the visit, the delegation engaged in diplomatic exchanges with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, held meetings with the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Services, the Minister of Fisheries, and hosted a bilateral business networking seminar.

Vietnam and Sri Lanka have had a long and successful traditional relationship and varied collaboration. The two countries support, bind, and share principles in the struggle for national independence and nation-building, as well as through their Buddhist connections. Generations of Sri Lankan politicians and people have long admired, respected, and adored President Ho Chi Minh. Currently, the Ho Chi Minh statue in the Colombo Public Library is the sole foreign leader statue in Sri Lanka's public spaces. This symbolizes the two countries' long-standing friendship and good ties.

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong met with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on October 18, 2023, in Beijing, China, while attending the Third High-Level International Cooperation Forum on the Belt and Road Initiative. Both sides welcomed recent significant improvements in the Vietnam-Sri Lanka relationship, particularly in education, religion, and people-to-people contacts. They committed to strengthening bilateral cooperation, especially in trade, investment, cultural exchange, religion, and tourism.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's early departure is expected to create opportunities for market access, trade promotion, and investment cooperation with Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries, despite slowing growth in agricultural, forestry, and aquatic product exports to traditional markets. Bilateral commerce in agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products is modest, with a turnover of approximately USD 60 million.

Vietnam's main exports to Sri Lanka are rubber and rubber products, animal feed, aquatic products, and peppers. Sri Lanka is the primary source of animal feed ingredients, rubber and rubber products, marine products, and tea imported by Vietnam. This market has tremendous potential and presents an opportunity for investment collaboration to increase exports of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products to South Asian markets, particularly India.

Sri Lanka is a member of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) and the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), and it has signed free trade agreements with India and Pakistan. The visit also marks the start of a new era of collaboration in science, technology, knowledge sharing, best practices in value chain development, processing, and trade of agriculture, forestry, and fishery; sustainable agriculture development; and biodiversity conservation, particularly in the tea sector, where Sri Lanka is a leading exporter with world-renowned tea brands.

During a meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, he commended Vietnam on its recent economic achievements and quick progress. He commended Vietnam's efforts to attract and promote foreign investment. Prime Minister Gunawardena urged that the agriculture sector share its experiences with Sri Lanka in terms of agricultural policy, scientific and technological breakthroughs, notably crop varieties, and rice industry development.

In response, Minister Le Minh Hoan stated, "In the context of globalization, no single country can solve all problems alone; cooperation and collaboration are required to handle challenges and complement each other's capabilities. Sri Lanka excels at tea production, but Vietnam is strong in rice and aquaculture. Vietnam is willing to collaborate and exchange agricultural and rural development experiences with Sri Lanka, as well as boost trade and investment in agriculture not only to serve the two countries' markets but also to export globally."

During the working sessions with Sri Lanka's Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Services, and Ministry of Fisheries, both parties agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, knowledge sharing, technology transfer, value addition, smart agriculture, and sustainable agriculture development models, with a focus on rice, tea, spice production, aquaculture farming, processing, seed, and aquatic animal health. Vietnam specifically requested that Sri Lanka share its experience with tea auctions.

To put these cooperative activities into action, Minister Le Minh Hoan and his Sri Lankan counterpart signed the Agricultural Development Cooperation Plan for 2024-2026, which focuses on promoting collaboration in research, learning, experience exchange, and short-term training in crop cultivation, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and water resource management.