Anne-Marie Descotes, Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, visited Sri Lanka from December 10 to 11, 2024, to attend the inauguration of the Regional Centre for Maritime Studies at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) on December 11.
The Regional Centre for Maritime Studies is a collaborative effort between Sri Lanka and France, focused on enhancing maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean region. This partnership highlights the shared interest of both nations as Indian Ocean States and members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
During her visit, Descôtes met with Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, where both sides expressed satisfaction with the growing bilateral partnership between France and Sri Lanka, underpinned by high-level engagements and future initiatives.
On December 11, bilateral talks were also held between Descôtes and Foreign Secretary Aruni Ranaraja. They discussed ways to deepen the relationship through regular interactions between the two Foreign Ministries. The talks covered areas such as economic and development cooperation, maritime collaboration, climate change, and multilateral cooperation.
