Sri Lanka (Commonwealth Union)_ French President Emmanuel Macron is making a historic visit to Sri Lanka on Friday, July 28. This momentous visit marks the first visit by a French president to the island nation. During his short stay in Sri Lanka, President Macron will hold discussions with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ranil Wickremesinghe. According to French media sources, the primary focus of their talks will revolve around strengthening bilateral ties and addressing shared regional and global challenges of mutual concern.
Prior to his visit to Sri Lanka, President Macron embarked on an official journey to New Caledonia, which concluded on Wednesday. Following this visit, he traveled to Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. And now he is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka this evening, accompanied by Catherine Colonna, the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, as well as an eminent delegation comprising high-ranking officials from the French Government. Further, Wickremesinghe had met Macron in Paris in June during the heads of state sessions of the Conference for a new global financial agreement.
In the meantime, Japan’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hayashi Yoshimasa, is also planning an official visit to Sri Lanka on July 28 and 29. During his stay, Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa will engage in official discussions with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Colombo, and he will also extend courtesy calls to President Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.
The Japanese delegation accompanying Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa includes Murakami Manabu, Senior Foreign Policy Coordinator; Arima Yutaka, Director General Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs; Endo Kazuya, Director General International Cooperation; Okano Yukiko, Deputy Press Secretary from the Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry; and a 22-member delegation of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Moreover, as per the announcement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Japanese delegation also intends to visit one of the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) sites in Sri Lanka during their visit. Further, the engagements of both President Macron and Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa reflect the importance of fostering international relations and cooperation between their respective nations and Sri Lanka.
