Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka, Vijitha Herath undertook a visit to Bremen, Germany from 26–27 February to attend the 125th Anniversary of the Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV), Bremen Chapter as Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker from Asia alongside Dr. Johann Wadephul, Foreign Minister of Germany who attended as the Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker from Germany. During the visit, Foreign Minister Herath held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Dr. Wadephul and chaired a business roundtable on Sri Lanka.
Delivering the keynote address at the 125th Anniversary celebration of OAV Bremen in the UNESCO world heritage listed town hall of Bremen, Foreign Minister Herath addressed an audience of German political and business leaders and foreign dignitaries. He highlighted Sri Lanka’s location in the region, its expanding regional connectivity, several Free Trade Agreements as well as preferential trade arrangements with regional partners and a highly educated work force as among factors which make the country an attractive destination for trade and investment in South Asia. Due to Bremen’s strong connections to ports and logistics industry, the Minister invited the business community to explore the potential of Sri Lanka in these sectors.
On the sidelines of the event, Foreign Minister Herath held discussions with his German counterpart, Dr. Johann Wadephul which focused on further strengthening the long-standing bilateral relationship, expanding trade and investment, the growth potential of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka, and enhancing cooperation within multilateral frameworks including the UN and EU. The two sides also discussed the issues such as German language training which need to be improved to utilise the considerable potential in the tourism industry, vocational education and skilled employment opportunities. The discussion also noted the impact of recent high-level bilateral meetings on expanding the trade, investment and tourism partnerships.
Addressing the business roundtable organised by OAV Bremen and the Bremen Chamber of Commerce (IHK Bremen), which was attended by a wide cross-section of the business community, Foreign Minister Herath highlighted Sri Lanka’s connectivity, and growing market access in the region as offering opportunities not only to its domestic market but to a broader regional marketplace. The Chairman, Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Mangala Wijesinghe made a presentation on Sri Lanka as a strategic sourcing partner in South Asia and invited participation in the forthcoming Sri Lanka EXPO 2026.
During the visit, Foreign Minister Herath also met with Mayor of Bremen Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte who welcomed the Minister to the UNESCO world heritage listed town hall of the City State of Bremen. The discussions focused on sectors where Bremen has strong expertise, including automotive industries, trade and logistics. The growing popularity of Sri Lanka as a tourist destination among German travellers and opportunities for further collaboration in tourism were also highlighted.
The Minister was accompanied on the visit to Bremen by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany Varuni Muthukumarana Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board Mangala Wijesinghe, and senior officials of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Berlin.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Employment and Tourism
Colombo 01
04 March 2026
