President embarks on State visit in Vietnam

President with Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Tô Lâm

Visit to the Bai Dinh Pagoda

• Pays homage to Bai Dinh Pagoda, receives warm welcome from people of Vietnam 
• Meets General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm

At the invitation of President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Luong Cuong, President Anura Kumara Disanayake departed Sri Lanka on Saturday on a three-day State visit to Vietnam, where he arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi yesterday morning.

Upon his arrival, President Disanayake and his delegation were accorded a warm and respectful welcome by senior Vietnamese officials, including Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Member and Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong.

The welcome ceremony was also attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trinh Thi Tam, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Vietnam Poshitha Perera, and several officials from the Sri Lanka Embassy in Hanoi. The President also visited the Bai Dinh Pagoda, one of the largest Buddhist temple complexes in Southeast Asia yesterday afternoon, where he paid homage and received blessings.

President Disanayake received a warm and heartfelt welcome from the Vietnamese people, who had gathered near the entrance of the temple, waving the national flags of both Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

A large crowd lined the pathway within the temple grounds to catch a glimpse of the Sri Lankan President, expressing their respect and goodwill by waving the two nations’ flags.

Upon reaching the main Buddha shrine, President Disanayake paid his respects. The resident monks then chanted Seth Pirith and invoked blessings on the President. Subsequently, the President paid homage to the Sri Maha Bodhi sapling on the temple grounds, a sacred branch from the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, which was gifted to the Bai Dinh Pagoda and planted there in 2023.

The outer wall constructed around the sacred Bodhi under the technical guidance of Sri Lanka’s Central Cultural Fund was also officially declared open by President Disanayake on this occasion.

Later, the President planted a sapling of the sacred Sal tree within the temple premises, and observed the commemorative plaque marking the occasion. As a gesture of reverence, President Disanayake presented a memento to the Chief Incumbent of the temple. President Disanayake also met with CPV General Secretary Tô Lâm yesterday evening at the Party’s Central Committee Headquarters in Hanoi.

The discussion focused on strengthening the longstanding diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, which mark 55 years of bilateral ties.

During the visit, the President is also expected to hold official talks with both the President and Prime Minister of Vietnam.

President Disanayake will tomorrow attend the opening ceremony of the United Nations Day of Vesak in Ho Chi Minh City, where he will deliver the keynote address as the event’s Chief Guest.

The visit is also expected to include the signing of several bilateral agreements and engagements with the Vietnamese business community to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries.

Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath, along with a high-level delegation of senior Government officials, is accompanying the President on this State visit.

President Anura Kumara Disanayake being welcomed by Vietnam officials at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi