Third round of Sri Lanka-Philippines political consultations concludes in Colombo

THE third round of political consultations between Sri Lanka and the Republic of the Philippines was successfully concluded in Colombo on 12 September.

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Delivering the opening remarks, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry Secretary Aruni Ranaraja highlighted the need to expand and strengthen the warm and friendly relations that exist between the two countries. She expressed hope that the Philippines would consider reopening the resident Mission of the Philippines in Colombo, particularly in view of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations that takes place in 2026.

She further expressed that Sri Lanka looks forward to working closely with the Philippines as they undertake the forthcoming chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The meeting provided a useful opportunity to review the state of bilateral relations and to explore avenues for strengthening cooperation across multiple sectors. Both sides engaged in constructive discussions on bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues of mutual interest, including in the areas of trade, investment, labour, defence, security, agriculture, fisheries, culture, education, and political and diplomatic exchanges.