Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, Industry Minister Sunil Handunneththi, and Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe have launched an integrated mechanism to enhance collaboration between Sri Lanka’s overseas Missions and national institutions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism has said.

The initiative is aimed at revitalising the country’s trade and investment agenda through coordinated efforts. The session, held on 16 September and attended by all Heads of Mission and Post, served as a platform to share key policy directives, practical proposals, and focused ideas.

Opening the session, Foreign Secretary Aruni Ranaraja provided an overview of the current investment and export landscape, stressing the importance of adopting targeted strategies to diversify Sri Lanka’s export portfolio and attract foreign direct investment. She reiterated that enhancing economic resilience and driving sustainable growth would require a proactive, coordinated approach across all stakeholders.

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said that the role of Sri Lanka’s Heads of Mission and Post is more crucial than ever as the country navigates a pivotal phase in its economic recovery. He underscored their responsibility to identify new markets, attract sustainable foreign investment, and boost export performance. Recognising these as key pillars of the national economic agenda, the Minister said progress would be subject to regular review to ensure accountability and impact. He further stressed that strengthened coordination among trade- and investment-related institutions would be essential to delivering tangible outcomes.

Minister Handunneththi, speaking on the industry perspective, said that ongoing efforts to attract foreign investment to revitalise key industrial sectors and address barriers hindering their growth. He emphasised the importance of value addition in Sri Lanka’s manufacturing sector, which makes use of the country’s natural resources. Attracting investors to industrial zones was presented as a vital step towards accelerating industrial development and expanding exports. Industry Secretary Thilaka Jayasundara outlined the need to broaden Sri Lanka’s market opportunities and strengthen the country’s position in global trade.

Minister Samarasinghe said that the importance of focusing on foreign investment and export development in light of current global economic conditions. He underlined the need for coordinated and forward-looking strategies to meet the country’s 2030 export targets. Trade Secretary K.A. Vimalenthirarajah meanwhile reaffirmed the Ministry’s strong commitment to providing continued support to Sri Lanka’s Missions abroad so they could carry out their responsibilities effectively.

Comprehensive presentations were delivered by the Chairmen of the Board of Investment and the Export Development Board, who highlighted the country’s economic performance with detailed facts and figures. They outlined the targets set for 2030, the roadmap to achieving them, and the collective strategies required to address challenges ahead.

The session concluded with a decision to take forward the proposals, with their implementation to be periodically reviewed.