SCO Secretary-General meets with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka

On May 20, 2026, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during an official visit to the country Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Nurlan Yermekbayev held talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism of Sri Lanka, Vijitha Herath.

The Minister emphasized his country's interest in expanding cooperation within the Organisation, participating in multilateral projects, primarily in the areas of tourism and transport connectivity. The Minister noted that this visit of the Secretary-General would contribute to building up contacts between Colombo and the SCO. The partiess also touched upon the current global situation.

The Secretary-General informed the Minister about the Organisation's current activities, the progress in preparations for the meeting of the Council of Heads of State, which will take place in Bishkek on August 31 - September 1, 2026, and conveyed the decision of the leaders regarding the statuses of "Observer" and "SCO Dialogue Partner" adopted during the Tianjin SCO Summit.

A fruitful exchange of views took place on ways of expanding Sri Lanka's participation in the Organisation's work. Additionally, the sides discussed the process of modernizing the Organisation and its legal framework.

They noted good potential for cooperation in the areas of tourism, agriculture, transport, and logistics. The interest of Sri Lankan agencies and organizations in participating in various SCO profile events was also noted.

The Minister expressed Colombo's readiness to expand cooperation with the SCO.

The talks were held in a friendly and constructive atmosphere.

SCO Secretary-General meets with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has been a Dialogue Partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation since 2010.