The Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development of Sri Lanka, Sunil Handunneththi, undertook an official visit to Vienna to participate in the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF 2026), held on 9–10 April 2026 at the Hofburg Palace, following an invitation extended by the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). As part of his official engagement, the Minister was invited to deliver a high‑level address at IVECF Roundtable 2.2 on “Green Industrialization in Middle‑Income Countries.”
During his visit, Minister Handunneththi participated at the Cleantech days 2026 at the Vienna Internation Center on 8 April 2026 and held a series of bilateral meetings with senior officials of the UNIDO. In discussions with the Deputy to the Director General (UNIDO) and Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development, Ciyong Zou, the Minister outlined Sri Lanka’s recent structural reforms aimed at consolidating agencies related to industry, entrepreneurship, and SME development under a unified institutional framework. He highlighted key initiatives that included integrating financial literacy and entrepreneurship into the national education curriculum, establishing entrepreneurship societies at school and university levels, and expanding targeted support for SMEs through financing, technology, and technical assistance.
In a separate meeting with the Deputy to the Director General (UNIDO) and Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations, Fatou Haidara, both sides explored avenues for deeper collaboration, emphasizing the importance of aligning UNIDO’s support with Sri Lanka’s national recovery program and broader development priorities.
The Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development also met with the Director General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Austria (WKO). The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral trade and industrial partnerships, with particular attention to expanding market access and fostering long‑term cooperation between the two countries’ private sectors.
During the Minister’s official programme in Vienna, the Chargé d’ Affaires Mahesh Gunawardena and the Counsellor Neetha Chandrasena of the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Vienna accompanied Minister Handunneththi and participated in all meetings.
Embassy and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Vienna
22 April 2026
