Courtesy Call on President Wickremesinghe of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka by Foreign Minister Kamikawa

On May 4, commencing at 4:05 p.m. (local time; 7:35 p.m. JST) for approximately 50 minutes, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The overview is as follows.

At the outset, President Wickramasinghe welcomed Minister Kamikawa's visit. In response, Minister Kamikawa expressed her gratitude to President Wickramasinghe for his past efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and expressed her appreciation for President Wickramasinghe's leadership in addressing the debt issues and promoting reforms to overcome the economic crisis and stated that Japan will provide maximum support. 

Minister Kamikawa commended the Sri Lankan government’s efforts in addressing the debt issues and promoting reforms. At the same time, Minister Kamikawa stated the importance of early signing of the memorandum of understanding on debt restructuring with the Official Creditor Committee and swift implementation of debt restructuring with all creditors in a transparent and comparable manner, as well as the need to work on anti-corruption measures and transparency in the policy making process in accordance with the agreement with the IMF. Minister Kamikawa also expressed Japan’s intention to further support Sri Lanka's development by swiftly resuming yen loans for existing projects once the MOU on debt restructuring is signed and the Sri Lankan government's intention to swiftly conclude a bilateral agreement is confirmed. The Sri Lankan side explained the efforts to restructure the economy in the two years following the suspension of debt payments and the latest situation regarding the debt restructuring. President Wickramasinghe reiterated his appreciation for Japan's contribution to the discussions on debt restructuring.

Regarding national reconciliation, Minister Kamikawa commended that the Sri Lankan government is making various efforts and stated that Japan would also support such efforts.

Furthermore, Minister Kamikawa touched upon nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, and stated that she has been promoting Women, Peace and Security (WPS) with extraordinary passion since assuming her post and expressed the desire to strengthen cooperation in this area in the future. The two sides also held a candid exchange of views on global issues including the global impact of regional conflicts.

At the courtesy call, Minister Kamikawa presented a Wajima-nuri lacquerware pen to President Wickramasinghe as a token of hope for the recovery of the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.