The discussions were co-chaired by Director-General of the Europe and North America Division of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry, Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, and Director for Asia and Oceania at France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Benoit Guidée.
The consultations were held as part of ongoing efforts to further strengthen the longstanding ties between the two countries and build on the progress achieved since the inaugural round of talks held in Colombo in October 2023.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed a wide range of areas of cooperation, including political relations, maritime affairs, defence collaboration, trade, tourism, development partnerships, education, and people-to-people exchanges.
Sri Lanka expressed its gratitude to the French Government for the humanitarian assistance provided following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah.
The two delegations also welcomed the continued contribution of major French investments in Sri Lanka, while noting the growth in French tourist arrivals and the longstanding development cooperation between the two nations.
Special attention was given to maritime cooperation, with both sides acknowledging the establishment of the Regional Centre for Maritime Studies (RCMS) as a significant achievement and discussing opportunities to expand collaboration in ocean governance.
The consultations also focused on climate change and sustainable marine management. Sri Lanka highlighted its ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement and appreciated France’s support in advancing the initiative. Both countries expressed interest in working together to ensure its effective implementation.
In addition, the two sides exchanged views on regional and international developments and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation within the United Nations and other multilateral forums, while upholding the principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Senior officials from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, along with representatives from the Sri Lankan Embassy in France, participated in the discussions.
