On July 04, during his visit to Sri Lanka, Mr. Ishizuki Hideo, Assistant Minister/ Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, held the Japan – Sri Lanka Economic Cooperation Policy Dialogue with Dr. Harshana Suriyapperum, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka for the first time under the new NPP government.

Mr. Isomata Akio – Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (online), the Embassy of Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also attended the meeting.

In his remarks, DG Ishizuki highlighted that Sri Lanka is a critical partner for maintaining and promoting a Free and Open Indo Pacific and expressed his determination to continue development cooperation with Sri Lanka, supporting its efforts to improve the standard of living of the people and to combat corruption, in particular.

In his remarks, Ambassador Isomata stressed that the eradication of corruption and good governance are a prerequisite for restoring confidence of both public and private entities, including those of Japan, in making investments in Sri Lanka. Japan will continue to work closely with the Government of Sri Lanka for the country’s sustainable development.

During the Dialogue, DG Ishizuki elaborated on the overview of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) and its Country Development Cooperation Policy, which defines the direction of Japan’s ODA policy for Sri Lanka.

Both sides exchanged views on Japan’s future development cooperation with Sri Lanka, including the ongoing yen loan projects to stabilize and reinforce Sri Lanka’s economy as well as overcome its socioeconomic challenges.