Israeli Ambassador to Sri Lanka Reuven Azar met Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath in Colombo on Thursday for a discussion focused on expanding bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
“Focused on strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation across multiple spheres,” Herath said in a statement issued after the meeting. “Looking forward to continued engagement for mutual benefit.”
The Embassy of Israel said in a separate statement that Israel “deeply admires the longstanding friendship between our two nations and remains fully committed to further strengthening bilateral ties.” It added that Israel was looking forward to “expanding cooperation across various sectors for the mutual benefit of both our peoples.”
Azar, who is Israel’s non-resident ambassador to Sri Lanka and based in New Delhi, holds a concurrent accreditation arrangement covering both countries. The two governments have maintained diplomatic relations since 1953.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of Israel’s continuing military operations in Lebanon and Gaza. Sri Lanka has historically supported a two-state solution and has voted in favour of multiple United Nations resolutions concerning Palestinian statehood and humanitarian access in Gaza. A Sri Lankan activist, Sameera Mehboobdeen, was aboard a flotilla intercepted by the Israeli navy en route to Gaza in late April.
Israel and Sri Lanka maintain ongoing cooperation in agriculture, water management, technology and labour migration. Several thousand Sri Lankan workers are employed in Israel under bilateral labour agreements, primarily in the agriculture and caregiving sectors.
