Head of Mission to the European Union for Sri Lanka Ambassador Grace Asirwatham engaged in a detailed discussion with Managing Director for Asia and Pacific at the European External Action Service (EEAS) Niclas Kvarnstrom on the EU’s Indo-Pacific Cooperation Strategy on 14 December 2023, in Brussels. Head of Division for South Asia and Regional Affairs Rensje Teerink Deputy Head of South Asia and Regional Affairs Monika Bylaite Desk Officer for Sri Lanka at the EEAS Galia Agisheva and Second Secretary of the Sri Lanka Mission Dulmini Dahanayake were present at the meeting.
Ambassador Asirwatham expressed appreciation at the outset for the far-reaching objectives outlined in the EU’s Indo-Pacific Cooperation Strategy and underscored Sri Lanka’s deep commitment to maintaining a secure and prosperous Indian Ocean that upholds the rights of all countries, emphasizing the importance of freedom of navigation in line with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS). In the context of Sri Lanka's current chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the Ambassador highlighted the potential for enhanced cooperation in the region while respecting shared values.
Managing Director for Asia and Pacific at the EEAS Niclas Kvarnstrom shared the EU's strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific Region, underscoring collaboration in trade and commerce, green and clean energy transition, and addressing common challenges such as climate change and natural disasters, as well as security issues.
Ambassador Asirwatham emphasized the need for tangible actions to translate the EU’s cooperation strategies into impactful results and urged that the Global Gateway Program, initiated with pilot projects in a number of countries in the Indo-Pacific region, should also consider investments in small and vulnerable economies such as Sri Lanka. The Ambassador expressed hope that the EU's Indo-Pacific cooperation strategy would progress from strategy to action in an inclusive way.
In response, Managing Director Kvarnstrom acknowledged Ambassador Asirwatham's perspectives on the EU’s Indo-Pacific Cooperation Strategy and assured that her views would be given due consideration under the Global Gateway Program. He acknowledged Sri Lanka’s active participation in ministerial meetings, lauding the country's keen interest in the Indo-Pacific Cooperation Strategy and its commitment to guiding the strategy toward collective success.
The meeting concluded with Managing Director Kvarnstrom and the officials present at the meeting bidding farewell to Ambassador Asirwatham, appreciating her contribution to promoting relations between the EU and Sri Lanka and the expansion of cooperation in many other areas of common global interest.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Brussels
21 December 2023
