On an invitation extended by Governor of the State of Montana, Greg Gianforte and Brigadier General Montana National Guard Adjutant General BG Gibson, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the USA Mahinda Samarasinghe accompanied by Minister (Commercial), Nalinda Wijerathne and Defence Advisor Commodore Dumindu Abeywickrama visited the State of Montana and had wide ranging discussions over a period of four days with a variety of Montana Government representatives, private industry, the Montana National Guard, the University of Montana and the Technical College of Montana. The objective of the visit was to showcase Sri Lanka as a reliable and strong bilateral partner of the United States offering opportunities in trade and investment, education and security partnership for mutual benefit. While the primary focus was on disaster preparation and response, significant and productive whole-of-society discussions complemented these talks, opening avenues for potential economic collaboration. Governor Greg Gianforte met with the Ambassador for over an hour where they highlighted the long-standing security relationship between Sri Lanka and Montana. They also discussed the importance of opening economic and business opportunities in critical minerals, and food security sectors, and disaster preparedness and mitigation. The Ambassador also highlighted Montana’s recent support to the Cyclone Ditwah response, underscoring the very strong partnership Sri Lanka and Montana already have in these areas.
The Sri Lankan delegation discussed a wide array of mutually beneficial security interests with the Montana National Guard which included maritime security, port security and port disaster readiness, and disaster risk reduction. The University of Montana met with the delegation to provide an array of academic opportunities to bolster disaster mitigation. The University of Montana is a nationally renowned institution with world-class experts in flood management, wildfire prediction analysis, and other technical academic disciplines essential to monitoring disaster potential and implementing meaningful measures to not only prevent disaster but to also promote a healthy ecosystem. The Ambassador and his team met with the Montana National Guard and discussed the State Partnership Programme between the U.S. and Sri Lanka and further training opportunities for both military and civilian personnel in disaster mitigation, search and rescue and maritime domain awareness. The Ambassador and his team also met with the Montana Technical University and discussed a range of economic and security opportunities available ranging from food security, mining safety and state-of-the-art extraction technologies, environmental mining safety, energy security, and other key opportunities. The Ambassador and his team met with key officials of the World Trade Centre Montana and discussed opportunities available for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and trade between the two countries.
The Ambassador subsequently delivered the keynote address at a symposium organized by the University of Montana and spoke on Sri Lanka’s economic and investment opportunities engaging in an interactive question and answer session with university staff members, students and key business personalities.
The Ambassador and his team met with a number of key entrepreneurs in the private sector in the fields of mining, maritime, environmental, engineering, food, water and military aviation security. The outcome of these very productive discussions over a four-day period is expected to lead to substantive future engagement opportunities between the U.S. and Sri Lanka in trade, investment and security and strengthen further the already strong bilateral relations between the two countries.
The State Partnership Programme of the State of Montana and the National Guard of Montana working in close collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Colombo facilitated the four-day visit of the Ambassador and his team.
Montana is the fourth-largest state in the United States of America by area with over a hundred mountain ranges in its western half. Its landscapes are rich in natural and mineral resources. The state leads in coal reserves and produces oil, natural gas, wind, and hydroelectric power. Both natural resource extraction and agriculture combined significantly contribute to the national economy of the United States.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Washington D.C.
08 April 2026
