Sri Lanka and Lithuania have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on political cooperation during the first high-level visit by a Lithuanian state delegation to the island, held to mark 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Daily Mirror reported.
Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Vidmantas Verbickas made a three-day visit from 4 to 6 October at the invitation of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra. He was accompanied by Lithuania’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Diana Mickevičienė.
The account of the visit comes from a statement by the Consulate of the Republic of Lithuania in Sri Lanka, which said the MoU establishes a framework for regular dialogue and opens cooperation in technology, education, trade and professional exchanges.
Political consultations
The two sides held inaugural political consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. Talks covered bilateral political relations, domestic and regional developments, trade and investment, tourism, and cooperation in multilateral forums including the United Nations — among them support for each other’s candidatures.
Digital cooperation
The delegation met Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne to discuss digitalisation, GovTech, digital public services and artificial intelligence. Lithuania said it was ready to share its experience in building secure and people-centred digital systems — a field in which the Baltic state, with a population of under three million, has built an outsized reputation within the European Union.
University and consulate
At the University of Colombo, Verbickas met Vice Chancellor Professor Indika Mahesh Karunathilake and delivered a lecture on Lithuania’s foreign and security policy in a changing geopolitical context. The delegation also visited Lithuania’s consulate in Colombo, meeting Honorary Consul R. M. Manivannan and Director for Consular, Diplomatic and Political Affairs Kanchana Kodituwakku.
Not reported: the filing does not give the date the MoU was signed, name the signatories, or say how often the consultation mechanism will convene. It carries no figures for current trade between the two countries, no Sri Lankan government statement alongside the consulate’s, and no indication of whether any specific agreement on technology, education or trade is to follow.
