Sri Lanka and Japan hold Economic Cooperation Policy Dialogue

Saturday, 5 July 2025 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka and Japan yesterday held the Economic Cooperation Policy Dialogue for the first time under the new NPP Government.

The visiting Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister/Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau Ishizuki Hideo, and Sri Lanka’s Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperum chaired the dialogue.

Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Isomata Akio and representatives from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (online), the Embassy of Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also attended the meeting.

In his remarks, DG Ishizuki highlighted that Sri Lanka is a critical partner for maintaining and promoting a Free and Open Indo Pacific and expressed his determination to continue development cooperation with Sri Lanka, supporting its efforts to improve the standard of living of the people and to combat corruption, in particular. In his remarks, Ambassador Isomata stressed that the eradication of corruption and good governance are a prerequisite for restoring confidence of both public and private entities, including those of Japan, in making investments in Sri Lanka. Japan will continue to work closely with the Government of Sri Lanka for the country’s sustainable development.

During the Dialogue, DG Ishizuki elaborated on the overview of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) and its Country Development Cooperation Policy, which defines the direction of Japan’s ODA policy for Sri Lanka.

Both sides exchanged views on Japan’s future development cooperation with Sri Lanka, including the ongoing yen loan projects to stabilise and reinforce Sri Lanka’s economy as well as overcome its socioeconomic challenges.