Potential for boosting agriculture and environment ties with Sri Lanka

On May 8, Viet Nam and Sri Lanka officially upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Partnership during the high-level visit of General Secretary and President To Lam. The milestone further strengthened relations between two of Asia’s most dynamic developing economies.

Building on existing cooperation foundations and strong political commitment from both sides, agricultural and environmental cooperation between Viet Nam and Sri Lanka is expected to enter a new phase of development - deeper, more effective, and making practical contributions to global food security and sustainable development.

Viet Nam’s agricultural science footprint in Sri Lanka

Over the past decades, relations between Viet Nam and Sri Lanka have extended beyond political diplomacy into practical and specialized cooperation activities.

A notable milestone was the “Technical Assistance and Fisheries Development Project for Sri Lanka,” funded by Viet Nam with USD 100,000 and implemented by Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 3 in cooperation with Sri Lankan fisheries authorities. Completed in 2014, the project delivered positive outcomes in human resource training and aquaculture planning, particularly for sea cucumber, seaweed, and lobster farming.

At the institutional level, the two countries have expanded their cooperation framework in both scale and depth. From the 2005 Memorandum of Understanding on fisheries to the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding on agriculture, both sides identified key priorities in scientific research, crop improvement, and post-harvest technologies for major products such as rice, tea, and fruits and vegetables.

During the 2024-2026 period, the two countries expanded cooperation into areas such as crop cultivation, plant protection, livestock production, veterinary services, and irrigation. In particular, cooperation between the Viet Nam Academy for Agricultural Sciences and Sri Lanka’s Department of Agriculture has opened up opportunities for deeper collaboration, ranging from crop variety research (including rice, mango, and coconut) to ecological agriculture and post-harvest technologies.

Despite this cooperation foundation, bilateral agricultural, forestry, and fisheries trade turnover remains relatively modest. In 2025, Viet Nam’s exports to Sri Lanka reached approximately USD 34.07 million, down from the previous year, mainly consisting of rubber and seafood products. In the first quarter of 2026, the figure continued to decline slightly, highlighting instability and performance still below potential.

The main reasons stem from tariff barriers, import quotas, and differences in market standards. However, the product structures of the two countries are highly complementary. Viet Nam holds advantages in exporting rice, pepper, cashew nuts, rubber, and seafood, while Sri Lanka is known for tea and coconut-based products - sectors in which both sides can complement and learn from one another.

Combining the strengths of the two countries

Looking ahead, there remains significant room for cooperation between Viet Nam and Sri Lanka if both sides effectively leverage their complementary advantages. To realize this vision, cooperation in agriculture and the environment needs to shift from isolated exchanges toward value chain linkages associated with sustainable development.

A key priority will be promoting investment cooperation, particularly in the fisheries sector — from harvesting and aquaculture to processing and exports. Joint ventures, partnerships, and technology transfer models are expected to play a central role in increasing added value.

At the same time, the two countries will focus on scientific and technological cooperation. Vietnam, with its globally recognized experience in rice exports and crop breeding, can share expertise in agricultural value chain development. In return, Sri Lanka can offer insights into its century-old tea auction system and sustainable coconut industry development techniques.

On the market side, strengthening business connectivity through forums, specialized trade fairs, and market information-sharing mechanisms will help boost bilateral trade. In particular, Sri Lanka’s consideration of preferential tax policies and trade facilitation measures for Vietnamese agricultural products would be an important factor in improving the trade balance.

During the State visit to the Sri Lanka from May 7-8 by General Secretary and President To Lam, two sides agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership. They also committed to further strengthening friendly cooperation, building high-level political trust, and expanding the scope and depth of collaboration in a comprehensive and substantive manner across all sectors.

The two countries agreed to deepen political, defense, and security cooperation on the basis of mutual trust, understanding, and respect, while further enhancing high-level exchanges and contacts through Party, State, National Assembly, and people-to-people channels, as well as maintaining regular bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Both sides also agreed to strengthen practical and mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, agriculture, energy, and science and technology. They pledged to implement breakthrough measures aimed at achieving bilateral trade turnover of USD 1 billion in the near future and to work toward a future bilateral trade and investment agreement between the two countries.