During the visit, Nguyen Trong Nghia and the delegation met and held discussions with G. Weerasinghe, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka; S. Sudasinghe, Chairman of the Sri Lanka–Viet Nam Solidarity Association; and co-chaired the international seminar titled “President Ho Chi Minh and the Traditional Friendship between Viet Nam and Sri Lanka.” The delegation also held a working session with Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Sri Lankan Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs.
At the meeting, both sides emphasised the importance of consolidating and enhancing their political, party-to-party, and people-to-people ties.
Nguyen Trong Nghia, Politburo member and Secretary of the Party Central Committee, affirmed the CPV’s desire to boost relations with political parties and mass organisations in Sri Lanka.
He highly appreciated the Communist Party of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka–Viet Nam Solidarity Association for their longstanding efforts in organising numerous solidarity activities in support of Viet Nam, including translating and publishing various books and works by President Ho Chi Minh and other Vietnamese authors in Sri Lanka.
He stressed that these meaningful contributions serve as important cultural and intellectual bridges between the two countries, and reflect the deep solidarity, affection for the Vietnamese people and nation, as well as profound respect for President Ho Chi Minh.
Nghia proposed that the two parties continue to strengthen cooperation through the exchange of information, publications, and theoretical discussions on the path toward socialism, as well as socio-economic development policies.
He expressed his hope that the Sri Lanka–Viet Nam Solidarity Association would continue to work closely with the Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka to organise meaningful activities marking the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1970–2025).
Sri Lankan leaders, for their part, spoke highly of Viet Nam’s development achievements under the leadership of the CPV, viewing them as a model for socialist-oriented development. They expressed a strong desire to promote more substantive cooperation with the CPV, particularly in the areas of information exchange, experience sharing in party development, leadership training, and mass mobilisation.
At the seminar titled “President Ho Chi Minh and the Traditional Friendship between Viet Nam and Sri Lanka”, Sri Lankan leaders, parliamentarians, and scholars unanimously acknowledged the immense contributions and values of President Ho Chi Minh to the national liberation movements around the world. They hailed him as a great source of inspiration for oppressed peoples in their struggles against colonialism and for independence and freedom.
They also reaffirmed that generations of Sri Lankan leaders and people have consistently held deep admiration and profound respect for President Ho Chi Minh, who laid the foundations for the close relationship between the two nations.
On the same day, during a working session with Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Sri Lankan Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs, Nghia voiced his appreciation for the recent positive developments in cultural and religious exchanges between the two countries. He also expressed his gratitude to the Sri Lankan Government for facilitating the construction of the Vietnamese Pagoda in Sri Lanka.
The two sides agreed to intensify exchanges of delegations and organise cultural and artistic exchange programmes, promote spiritual tourism, and collaborate on the preservation and restoration of cultural and religious sites. The two sides agreed to promote delegation exchanges and cultural-artistic interactions; develop spiritual tourism; and cooperate in preserving religious and cultural heritage.
On the occasion of the 135th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh, the CPV delegation laid flowers at his statue and visited the Ho Chi Minh Space at the Colombo Public Library — an enduring symbol of the Sri Lankan people’s deep affection and respect for the Vietnamese leader.
