The Second Session of the Joint Commission between Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was successfully concluded in Colombo on 4 November 2025.
The Session was co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment of Sri Lanka Arun Hemachandra, and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister Hemachandra underscored that the establishment of the Sri Lanka–UAE Joint Commission marks a significant milestone in the partnership between the two countries. He emphasized that the mechanism serves as an effective platform for advancing comprehensive cooperation both at the bilateral level and within international fora. The Deputy Minister further noted that, although the First Session of the Joint Commission was held in Abu Dhabi in 2014, bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the UAE have continued to strengthen, underpinned by close collaboration across multiple sectors.
The discussions during the Second Session provided a valuable opportunity to review ongoing cooperation and explore new avenues in key areas such as trade, investment, labour, and other fields of mutual interest. The Deputy Minister Hemachandra highlighted the importance of further consolidating economic and trade relations, noting that the two countries had, during the year, concluded two landmark agreements — the Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments (IPPA) and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the UAE–Sri Lanka Joint Business Council.
The UAE State Minister welcomed the elevation of the bilateral relationship in the past few months and expressed keen interest in focusing on enhanced trade and tourism cooperation including infrastructure development targeting high end tourism from UAE. He conveyed willingness to further step up cooperation in energy, investments, financial services and textiles, and noted the importance of economic cooperation diversification.
At the conclusion of the deliberations, the Co-Chairs signed the Agreed Minutes of the Second Session. The discussions encompassed a wide range of areas of cooperation, including political, economic, financial, transport, sports, health, customs, energy, labour, defence, science and technology, education, culture, agriculture, food, and postal sectors.
During their stay, State Minister Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri and the accompanying delegation also paid courtesy calls on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath and the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka.
The UAE delegation was comprised of Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka Khaled Al Ameri; the Director of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE Abdulaziz Al Neyadi; and senior officials representing the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dubai Chambers, Etihad Airways, AD Ports, and other agencies.
The Sri Lankan delegation included the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Aruni Ranaraja, senior officials from the Ministry, and other relevant government institutions and agencies.
The convening of the Sri Lanka – UAE Joint Commission after 11 years is reflective of the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries, following on the recent high-level visits.
The Third Session of the Sri Lanka–UAE Joint Commission is scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
Colombo
05 November 2025
