- Home
- News Releases
- Back Issues
- February FY2026
- Japan-Sri Lanka Intergovernmental Economic Policy Dialogue Held
Japan-Sri Lanka Intergovernmental Economic Policy Dialogue Held
February 18, 2026
On Monday, February 16, 2026, the Japan-Sri Lanka Intergovernmental Economic Policy Dialogue was held for the first time in ten years in Colombo.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Mr. Matsuo Takehiko, Vice-Minister for International Affairs of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Mr. K. A. Vimalenthirarajah, Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The public and private sectors engaged in discussion during the Dialogue.
The Japan-Sri Lanka Joint Statement, issued during the visit to Japan in September 2025 of H.E. Anura Kumara Disanayaka, President of Sri Lanka, confirmed that the dialogue would resume as a forum for discussions to promote industrial development and economic growth in Sri Lanka, based on the Conceptual Roadmap on Building an Export-Oriented Industrial Corridor proposed by Japan. This marked the first time the dialogue had been held in approximately 10 years, since the meeting in July 2016. Prior to the dialogue, the co-chairs and representatives of the two countries' ministry of foreign affairs signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on this Dialogue.
At the meeting, discussions were held on improving the trade and investment environment based on the concept of this roadmap, which aims to promote intra-regional trade by leveraging the vast South Asian market, as well as facilitating Sri Lanka’s integration into global supply chains. Not only representatives from government agencies of both countries but also the Japan-Sri Lanka Business Co-operation Committee and the Sri Lanka-Japan Business Council (SLJBC) attended the meeting. A total of approximately 70 people from both the public and private sectors took part in the discussions, and participants confirmed the issues that need to be addressed in order to expand investment in Sri Lanka.
Division in Charge
Southwest Asia Office, Trade Policy Bureau