Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also extended his congratulations to his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, meanwhile, cabled a congratulatory letter to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

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The flags of Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Photo: beltandroad

Together, Sri Lanka and Vietnam enjoy amicable ties in bilateral, regional, and multilateral diplomacy, Ambassador Walpita Gamage Sampath Prasanna said in a recent message to the English-language newspaper Viet Nam News of State-run Vietnam News Agency.

Cooperation between the two countries extends to the wider areas of politics, trade, investment and economics, defence, culture, education, tourism, and agriculture, among a host of others. The Sri Lanka - Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group also maintains cordial yet tight-knit relations between the Parliament of Sri Lanka and the National Assembly of Vietnam. The robust relationship is also marked by high-level visits undertaken by leaders from both countries.

Furthermore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam share close trade relations, with the trade balance over the years being in favour of Vietnam.

Two-way trade in 2019 stood at 381 million USD, with Sri Lanka importing goods and services worth 302 million USD from Vietnam and exporting those worth 79 million USD to the country, according to the ambassador.

Source: VNA