Luxembourg, Sri Lanka explore Avenues for strengthened Collaboration

On the occasion of Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn's working visit to Sri Lanka, the two countries today explored avenues for further collaboration particularly in the areas of green finance, ICT and tourism.

During his working visit, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, was received by Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. He also met his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena for a bilateral interview, followed by a working lunch. 

These talks particularly served as an opportunity to address in depth the challenges to be overcome by Sri Lanka in order to consolidate peace, following the civil war which ended in 2009. The ministers addressed the efforts of the Sri Lankan government in the areas of good governance, human rights and the reconciliation process. In this context, Jean Asselborn underlined that "the implementation of Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 relating in particular to reconciliation and justice is essential in this regard". He also argued that economic development goes hand in hand with strengthening the rule of law.

Discussions also focussed on bilateral relations, the regional situation in South Asia and relations between Sri Lanka and its neighbours. Indeed, Jean Asselborn and Dinesh Gunawardena discussed means of strengthening bilateral relations. The two ministers particularly discussed various possibilities of strengthening economic, commercial and financial relations, namely in the fields of green finance, ICT and tourism.

The working visit was also the occasion of the accreditation of Luxembourg's first ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jean Claude Kugener, who is co-accredited from New Delhi and who presented the credentials to the president last week. Last year, a Luxembourg consulate was opened in Sri Lanka and Suwanitha Senanayake was appointed Luxembourg's first honorary consulate in Colombo.