Sri Lanka in the process of opening diplomatic Mission in Romania

Sri Lanka is in the process of opening a diplomatic Mission in Romania to reaffirm its commitment to consolidate the enduring bilateral partnership and to cater to the strong Sri Lankan community in the country, the Foreign Ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry said that the Fifth Round of Sri Lanka – Romania Bilateral Political Consultations co-chaired by State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya and Romania’s State Secretary Traian Hristea was successfully concluded on 26 June 2023 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo.

Sri Lanka and Romania identified new avenues for increased institutional cooperation in the sectors relating to labour, trade & investment, ICT & cyber security and in education & capacity building. In taking advantage of the strategic locations of the two countries, the Romanian side also indicated their keen interest in exploring the possibility of entering into a partnership in ports cooperation, particularly in the logistics sector.

Strengthening the bilateral partnership in the labour sector was one of the main areas of discussion. Linking Sri Lankan apprenticeship and technical training institutions with Romanian counterparts to train prospective Sri Lankan employees in the needed job categories in Romania, possibility of securing G2G labour quota from Romania for Sri Lanka were some of the areas discussed at the political consultations.

A bilateral agreement for strengthening the institutional mechanism on migrant labour was discussed for signature. The proposed agreement will lay a foundation for a structured collaboration between the two countries.

State Minister Balasuriya and State Secretary Hristea also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Visit of State Secretary Hristea is the first visit to Colombo by a high level official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania in the last 34 years. Prior to the consultations, State Minister Balasuriya had productive discussions in Bucharest on 16th June 2023 with Romanian State Secretary of Labour & Social Solidarity Madalin – Cristian Vasilcoiu, on gainful job opportunities for Sri Lankans in Romania, including the emerging challenges in the area. During his visit to Romania, State Minister also addressed a labour business forum in Bucharest. (Colombo Gazette)