Colombo: Dr. Paul Kapur, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat during his visit to Sri Lanka. The meeting highlighted the 77 years of bilateral relations between the two countries, emphasizing a partnership encompassing trade, defense, investment, tourism, and people-to-people ties.

According to News.LK, Assistant Secretary Kapur expressed the United States’ commitment to bolstering existing cooperation with Sri Lanka. The leaders also discussed the evolving situation in the Middle East, noting positive developments and expressing confidence that a peace agreement reached on June 19 would promote lasting peace in the region. President Dissanayake highlighted Sri Lanka’s humanitarian actions earlier this year, assisting two vessels in distress near its waters, which were commended by the US official.

Trade relations were also a focal point of the discussions. The United States is the largest destination for Sri Lankan exports, and both parties explored ways to enhance trade cooperation. They addressed challenges, such as the trade gap and tariffs on Sri Lankan exports, emphasizing the importance of concluding a trade agreement swiftly.

The meeting was attended by Sri Lankan officials, including Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando and Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake. The US delegation included Charg© d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Sri Lanka, Jayne Howell; Senior Economic Programmes Manager at the US Department of State, Matthew Ridgeway; and Head of the Political Section at the United States Embassy, Shailaja Kim.