Colombo, 3 August 2022 (TDI): Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mizukoshi Hideaki, met the recently appointed Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry, at the Foreign Ministry Office in Colombo.
Japanese Ambassador calls on the Minister of Foreign Affairs
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Both the dignitaries discussed improving the multi-faceted bilateral relationship between the two countries. They also acknowledged the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Japan.
The Foreign Minister appreciated and expressed his gratitude to the Japanese government for the timely assistance and support.
The Minister also briefed the Japanese Envoy about Sri Lanka’s current economic situation and the initiatives undertaken by the government to reduce these challenges.
At the meeting, senior officials of the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry and officials of the Embassy of Japan were also present.
Sri Lanka-Japan Relations
In the early years, the bilateral relations between the two countries were largely restricted to cultural and religious spheres. Sri Lanka was one of only nine Asian countries that participated in the San Francisco Peace Conference in Japan in 1951.
Japan and Sri Lanka established official bilateral relations in 1952 when a Japanese Mission was set up in Colombo. The following year Sri Lanka also deployed a diplomatic minister in Tokyo.
In 2012, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, a commemorative coin was issued. Japan is also involved in various development projects in Sri Lanka and is a major source of low-interest concessionary loans for Sri Lanka.
Sri Jayawardanepura General Hospital was completed with a grant from the Japanese government in September 1983. It is the foremost and largest medical hospital in Sri Lanka, with 1001 beds capacity.
Furthermore, the Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship Cultural Fund was established in 1993 for preserving and developing a colorful and rich traditional culture in Sri Lanka and deepening warm-hearted people-to-people exchange between Japan and Sri Lanka.
