Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri called on Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath today (04 November) and discussed a range of matters of mutual interest for the two countries. The UAE State Minister is in Sri Lanka as the leader of the UAE delegation for the second session of the Joint Commission between Sri Lanka and UAE held in Colombo.
During the discussion, Minister Herath noted that the 2nd Session of the Joint Commission signifies the strengthened high-level engagement between the two nations, following on President Anura Kumara Disanayaka’s visit to the UAE for the World Government Summit in February 2025. This was followed by an official visit to Sri Lanka by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE in April 2025.
The UAE State Minister expressed strong optimism regarding the future trajectory of the bilateral partnership and noted that the productive discussions at the Joint Commission session will pave the way for greater cooperation including more high-level exchanges.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening ties across key sectors. The primary focus of the discussions was on economic and investment cooperation and tourism including attracting increased UAE capital for infrastructure and development projects in Sri Lanka. The two Ministers also explored ways to enhance bilateral trade, labour and foreign employment — especially the welfare and protection of the large Sri Lankan expatriate community in the UAE— and foster collaboration in various other areas for mutual benefit.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
Colombo
04 November 2025
