Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath held discussions with the Speaker of New Zealand’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Gerry Brownlee, on Wednesday during his official visit to the country.
The two sides discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation, with a focus on expanding ties in trade, education and parliamentary affairs, NewsFirst reported.
During the meeting, Speaker Brownlee recalled his own official visit to Sri Lanka in July 2024, when he led a cross-party New Zealand parliamentary delegation. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening parliamentary and diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The bilateral session followed a ceremonial start to the visit earlier the same day, when Herath became the first Sri Lankan Foreign Minister to receive the traditional Māori “Pōwhiri” welcome at New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The New Zealand stop is part of Herath’s wider visit to New Zealand and Australia, aimed at strengthening Sri Lanka’s engagement with the two Pacific-region partners across trade, education and diaspora ties.
