Sri Lanka and France reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations during the Second Round of Political Consultations held virtually on 9 June 2026.
The consultations were co-chaired by Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Director-General of the Europe and North America Division of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, and Benoit Guidée, Director for Asia and Oceania at France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in areas including political engagement, maritime and defence collaboration, trade, tourism, development, education, and people-to-people exchanges. Sri Lanka also expressed appreciation for France’s humanitarian assistance following Cyclone Ditwah.
Both sides welcomed the progress of French investments in Sri Lanka, the growth in French tourist arrivals, and ongoing development cooperation. They also highlighted the importance of the Regional Centre for Maritime Studies (RCMS) and explored opportunities for deeper collaboration on maritime affairs, climate action, and sustainable ocean governance.
The two countries further exchanged views on regional and global developments and reaffirmed their commitment to working closely through the United Nations and other multilateral platforms on matters of mutual interest.
