Visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yoshimasa Hayashi has paid a courtesy call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo a short while ago.

During the meeting, the two dignitaries engaged in discussions concerning the bilateral relationship between Japan and Sri Lanka, with a mutual commitment to further strengthen their traditionally robust ties.

President Wickremesinghe expressed his gratitude to the Japanese Government for its support in the debt restructuring process and shared details of French President Emmanuel Macron’s offer, aiming to play a pivotal role in enhancing the common platform for debt restructuring and expediting the process.

Another significant aspect of their talks revolved around key areas of cooperation, namely the Light Rail Transit (LRT), the East Terminal, the Kandy Development Plan, Central Highway, and the expansion of the Bandaranaike International Airport.

Both parties expressed the importance of expediting the implementation of these projects.

Additionally, they delved into bilateral, regional, and global issues, emphasizing their shared commitment to maintaining the region as a peaceful and stable area.

President Wickremesinghe also highlighted the investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s high-tech industries, envisioning a transformation from a labour market-oriented economy to one that caters to cutting-edge technological advancements.

This strategic move is expected to present significant prospects for Japanese investors.

The high-level meeting took place in Colombo this morning.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi arrived in Sri Lanka on a two-day official visit last night.

The Japanese Foreign Minister was received by State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

During his stay, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will also hold discussions with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yoshimasa Hayashi is being accompanied by Senior Foreign Policy Coordinator MURAKAMI Manabu, Director General Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs ARIMA Yutaka, Director General International Cooperation ENDO Kazuya, Deputy Press Secretary OKANO Yukiko from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan and a 22 – member delegation consisting of officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

The delegation will discuss the on-going debt restructuring process and also development projects which were discussed during Ranil President Wickremesinghe’s visit to Japan in May.

The delegation will also visit one of the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) sites in Sri Lanka.

This is also the first ministerial visit to Colombo from a Japanese delegation since 2019.

(NewsRadio)