The roots of Sri Lanka-Vietnam relations can be traced back to the ancient times. These relations were governed by religious and trade interests. In the recent past, Sri Lanka and Vietnam have had positive relations in general.
Modern Sri Lanka-Vietnam Relations
Sri Lanka and Vietnam met in a major international conference in 1955 at Bandung where both North and South Vietnam took part. As the Vietnam War progressed, the Buddhist protests in South Vietnam generated interest among the Buddhist community in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka even sent a fact finding mission to Vietnam to assess the situation. However, until 1970, Sri Lanka was generally neutral to the Vietnam War.
This changed dramatically after Mrs. Bandaranaike was elected for her second term in office in 1970. She established diplomatic relations with Democratic Republic of Vietnam and also recognized the provisional revolutionary government of South Vietnam.
After 1977, the relations between the two countries were somewhat lukewarm. Sri Lanka opened her economy while Vietnam steadfastly held to the Soviet model. After the fall of the USSR, Vietnam also opened her economy and enjoyed rapid economic growth, the fastest growth rate in Asia at one time. The relations between the two countries also improved with Sri Lanka establishing a permanent mission in Hanoi in 2003.
Recent Developments in Sri Lanka-Vietnam Relations
Sri Lanka-Vietnam relations became notably vibrant after president Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power in Sri Lanka in 2005. Almost exactly two years ago, Rajapaksa paid a three-day visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his then counterpart, Nguyen Minh Triet. Discussions were undertaken on expanding bilateral ties and international matters of interest to the two countries and some agreements were signed.
With the economic development of Vietnam, the purchasing power of the 90 million Vietnamese has generally increased. Hence there are new avenues for the Sri Lankan export market to explore in Vietnam, especially in consumer goods such as tea and rubber products and luxury items such as gem and jewelry.
President Truong Tan Sang’s Visit to Sri Lanka
The president of Vietnam has recognized the economic aspect of his visit clearly. After meeting the Sri Lankan president on Friday, he will be inaugurating the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Business Forum, organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. On Saturday, October 15, 2011, he will ceremonially open the new Vietnamese embassy in Colombo and visit the Gem and Jewelry Authority.
The foreign ministry of Sri Lanka has said that several agreements on political, defense, investment, finance, education and training, machinery manufacturing aspects will be signed by the two countries.
The Vietnamese president visits Sri Lanka after his visit to neighboring India. His visit to India is an important event given the recent flaring up of dispute with China over the Spratley Islands. The Vietnamese president is expected to sign bilateral agreements pertaining to defense with Sri Lanka also. However, as Sri Lanka is attempting to cultivate positive relationships with all regional powers, the country’s leadership will most probably not turn their attention to contentious points in the discussions with the Vietnamese leadership.
References
Vietnam President to Ink Economic, Defense Deals on Sri Lanka Visit, Lanka Business Online, Accessed, Oct. 12, 2011
Sri Lankan President Concludes Vietnam Visit, Accessed, Oct. 12, 2011.
Sri Lanka-Vietnam Relations, Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Vietnam, Accessed Oct. 12, 2011.
Chamara Sumanapala - Greetings from Sri Lanka!!! I am a science graduate and a chemistry teacher at Royal College, Colombo. I am mainly interested in history, ...
Join the Conversation