Colombo, 12 August 2022 (TDI): The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ambassador Julie Chung attended an art exhibition in Sri Lanka on Thursday. Ambassador Chung praised the finest work of the visual artists in a meeting with Sri Lankan visual art society.
Artists shared stories of their art journey and also talked about the role of art in society. Ambassador Julie Chung while calling art an act of courage, shared some clicked moments of the event on her Twitter handle.
Art is an act of courage. I will long remember meeting with some of Sri Lanka’s finest visual artists to share stories of their journeys as artists and talk about the role of art in society. pic.twitter.com/XkwRqdVDP8
— Ambassador Julie Chung (@USAmbSL) August 12, 2022
US-Sri Lanka Bilateral Relations: an overview
US-Sri Lanka relations are friendly states based on shared democratic norms and values conforming with regional and international rules.
The US is one of the largest export markets of Sri Lanka and accounts for nearly $3 billion out of the $11.7 billion of export Sri Lanka conduct annually.
Sri Lankan exports to the US are mostly apparel, but also include industrial supplies, gemstones, tea, spices, and rubber. On the other hand, top US exports to Sri Lanka include plastics, wheat, cloth, dairy products, animal feeds, textiles, and soybeans.
The US has donated more than $2 billion to the development of Sri Lanka since its independence in 1948.
In the area of military cooperation, both countries tend to promote a more prosperous and safer Indo-Pacific region, mainly through maritime cooperation.
Both countries tend to increase more and more cooperation and exchanges, especially in areas of art and culture.
Art and Cultural Exchanges
US and Srilanka tend to have more focus on mutual understanding of culture and exchange of art-related activities. Recently on 16 May, a grand art exhibition named “Women Beyond Femininity” was also held at The American Center in Colombo.
Alumni of the Visual Art Faculty organized this exhibition. Cooperation in this sector promotes and strengthens deep US-Sri Lankan bilateral ties.
