On 28 August 2023, H.E. Mr. Sarun Charoensuwan, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, co-chaired the 5th Bilateral Political Consultations with H.E. Ms. Aruni Yasodha Wijewardane, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka in Colombo to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between Thailand and Sri Lanka in all dimensions.

Emphasising the long and cordial relations based on the common faith in Theravada Buddhism, both sides discussed overall bilateral relations, especially on trade and investment. The two sides were satisfied with the progress of the Sri Lanka-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (SLTFTA) negotiations, which schedules to be concluded by early 2024. The establishment of the SLTFTA is hoped to be instrumental in expanding trade and investment between the two countries. In addition, development cooperation has also been another factor in fostering closer relations, of which both sides discussed the ongoing process of the drafting of the new 2-year Implementation Plan on bilateral development cooperation (2024-2025).

Views were exchanged on regional cooperation, especially on the BIMSTEC Summit, to be held in Bangkok at the end of 2023. The Thai side hopes that the President of Sri Lanka will attend the Summit. The meeting welcomed Sri Lanka’s interest in increasing cooperation with ASEAN by which Sri Lanka already submitted the application to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

On this occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand also organized a business networking session to provide an opportunity for the business delegation from Thailand to explore business and investment perspectives and opportunities in Sri Lanka with potential Sri Lankan partners.