Sri Lanka, Switzerland boost trade, tourism ties

The 4th round of bilateral consultations between Sri Lanka and Switzerland took place in Colombo.

The Ambassador Head of Asia Pacific co-chaired it at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Heinrich Schellenberg, and Additional Secretary/Bilateral (West) of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Sri Lanka Yasoja Gunasekera.

According to a statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the delegations have discussed the potential to enhance economic relations further.

Sri Lanka appreciates the Swiss assistance extended to the Export Development Board (EDB) in identifying further markets for its exports. Sri Lanka has proposed collaboration in the textile industry. The two countries agreed to work toward and explore diversifying trade relations and further potential in the tourism sector.

The island nation also appreciated the long-standing Swiss support in labor migration. Both sides acknowledged the positive impact of this collaboration in ensuring safe labor migration.

The meeting also considered collaboration on education, research, and innovation, particularly exploring avenues for joint research and connectivity between universities. Opportunities to collaborate on environmental, climate change, and sustainability were also discussed.

Further, both sides agreed to hold the 5th round of political consultations in Bern, Switzerland, in 2026.

Bilateral political consultations between Sri Lanka and Switzerland were held according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Foreign Office Consultations signed in 2016.