Colombo: The Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House, Bimal Rathnayake, undertook an official visit to Singapore from 13 to 15 July 2025 to attend the Global Aviation and Maritime Symposium and a series of high-level engagements. This visit underscored Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening partnerships in the aviation, maritime, and logistics sectors while advancing the country’s position as a regional transport and trade hub.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka, Minister Rathnayake participated as a speaker at the Ministerial and Industry Roundtable on 14 July 2025, themed ‘Shaping Tomorrow’s Transport: People, Technology, and Policy.’ He joined a panel that included key figures such as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria, Festus Keyamo, and the Minister of Transport and Logistics Services of Saudi Arabia, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser. The roundtable focused on enhancing resilience in global transport networks through colla
boration between the aviation and maritime sectors.
During the discussions, Minister Rathnayake highlighted Sri Lanka’s strategic role as a regional air-sea gateway and emphasized national efforts to integrate transport, highways, ports, and aviation under a unified ministry. This integration is aimed at driving strategic infrastructure development and enhancing regional cooperation.
On 15 July, the Minister addressed the High-Level Panel on ‘Strategies to Support Safe Aviation Growth’ at the opening of the 3rd Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety (AP-SAS). He reiterated that aviation safety is a national priority for Sri Lanka, guided by a Master Plan aligned with ICAO standards. The Minister also emphasized the importance of civil aviation in supporting tourism, trade, and global connectivity.
Minister Rathnayake engaged in discussions with Singapore’s Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, Jeffrey Siow. The talks centered around a proposed Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) on Green and Digital Shipping Corridor collaboration. The Minister also invited Singaporean companies to invest in Sri Lanka’s logistics sector and expressed interest in capacity-building support for Sri Lankan officials.
In a meeting with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Indranee Rajah, Minister Rathnayake proposed the establishment of a Sri Lanka-Singapore Parliamentary Friendship Group to enhance dialogue between the two legislatures. He invited Minister Rajah to visit Sri Lanka with a parliamentary delegation and explored opportunities for study visits for Sri Lankan parliamentary staff.
On the sidelines of the symposium, Minister Rathnayake held meetings with the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, and Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Juan Carlos Salazar. He also toured Tuas Port and was briefed on port automation and integrated logistics management, which are areas of interest for Sri Lanka’s mar
itime modernization.
Additionally, the Minister was briefed by the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) Academy of Singapore on maritime education and training collaboration opportunities. The Academy offered slots for Sri Lankans to attend the Maritime Transformation and Innovation Programme scheduled for April 2026.
During his visit, Minister Rathnayake experienced Singapore’s public transport system and was briefed on its efficiency and user-centered design. He gained insights into system integration, service standards, and operational management.
Minister Rathnayake was accompanied by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Singapore, Senarath Dissanayake, and other officials from the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation.