Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya undertook a visit to Hamburg, Germany from 27-30 March, 2025, focussed on strengthening vocational education and economic linkages between the two countries, the Lankan Embassy in Berlin said in a statement.

It said: Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city and a major European Port city, with a long history of trade linkages with Asia.

Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Prime Minister Amarasuriya were the Guests of Honour at the 102nd East Asia friendship dinner. The annual gathering of the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV) is the largest German association for the promotion of German-Asian business relationships. In her address as the Guest of Honour, in front of an audience of 300 dignitaries, including German President Steinmeier and the Mayor of Hamburg and high-ranking representatives from business and politics from across Germany, Prime Minister Amarasuriya highlighted the significant potential for strengthening the economic ties between Sri Lanka and Germany. She also reiterated that despite facing a challenging economic crisis in 2022, Sri Lanka’s economy has regained its normalcy to a great extent, within a relatively short period.

Prime Minister Amarasuriya invited German companies to explore the potential of Sri Lanka as the improving economy, resurgent tourism and policy reforms of the new government had created a facilitating environment for investment and business. The Prime Minister stated that over 160 German Companies have invested and are operating in Sri Lanka. The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka) maintains a strong presence in the country, organising many projects and visits. In addition, OAV maintains collaborations with the Northern Chamber of Industries (NCI) in Jaffna, and the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC) in Colombo.

 The Prime Minister stated that the new government is committed to taking tangible steps in the interest of further advancing national unity and reconciliation. The current Parliament is one of the most inclusive in Sri Lanka’s history, with a record number of women and representatives of different communities. The Prime Minister highlighted that for the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, the last Parliamentary election results reflected a collective and unified voice from people of all regions of the country and of all ethnicities and religions, in support of change and positive transformation.

 President Steinmeier and Prime Minister Amarasuriya held a meeting on the sidelines of the 102nd East Asia friendship dinner. During the meeting, the Prime Minister described the efforts of the government on stabilising the economy while ensuring the social protection of vulnerable groups. German President Steinmeier and Prime Minister Amarasuriya also discussed collaboration between the two countries in the field of vocational education.

 During her visit to Hamburg, the Prime Minister, in her capacity as the Minister in charge of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, had several engagements focused on strengthening collaborations with Germany in the field of vocational education. In her keynote speech at the opening session of the ‘German-Asian Forum on Vocational Education & Training,’ organised by the OAV and  iMOVE, an initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), on 28 March, 2025, Prime Minister Amarasuriya conveyed the appreciation of Sri Lanka to the generous contributions made by the German government over a period of more than 65 years for the development of the vocational education sector in Sri Lanka, beginning with the establishment of the Sri Lanka- German Technical Training Institute, in Moratuwa, in 1959. In 2016, a second Sri Lanka – German Training Institute was established in Kilinochchi. She stated that vocational education plays a vital role in the envisaged reforms to the education process. The Prime Minister also said that Sri Lanka aims to transform vocational education into a modern, relevant field that will help the country create a skilled workforce that meets the demands of the industry, and thereby offering the youth of Sri Lanka real career paths, both in Sri Lanka and abroad. Prime Minister Amarasuriya also visited ITECH, a vocational school for IT, electrical, and chemical engineering, where she interacted with teachers and students regarding their experiences in the German dual-education system.

 Attending a Business Roundtable in Hamburg, the Prime Minister had an exchange with the German companies and representatives of government agencies about the economic vision of the government. She highlighted that the government is focused on the stability of the economy and ensuring greater economic participation from across the country. Digitalization was another priority along with the Clean Sri Lanka initiative. Prime Minister Amarasuriya also visited German research and technology hubs in Hamburg including NXP Semiconductors, a leading global semiconductors company; and DESY, Germany’s largest particle accelerator and a centre for new technology and startups. In her interactions with the senior leadership of the institutions, she focused on collaborations in support of Sri Lanka’s IT and apparel industries.

Associated with Prime Minister Amarasuriya’s official engagements in Germany were Varuni Muthukumarana, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Germany; Sandun Liyanwila, Counsellor and Senuja Samaraweera, Counsellor (Commercial) of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin.