Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath held productive discussions with the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Nurlan Yermekbayev today (20/05) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, during the Secretary General’s official visit to Sri Lanka from 19th to 21st May 2026.

This visit, which is the first visit by a Secretary General of the SCO to Sri Lanka, will contribute towards elevating Sri Lanka's engagement with the SCO.

The discussions focused on further strengthening and deepening cooperation between SCO and its partner countries across several sectors, particularly tourism, transport and logistics, and agriculture. Minister Herath conveyed Sri Lanka's strong interest in joining SCO initiatives and sought the Secretary-General's support in promoting Sri Lanka as a dynamic investment and tourist destination.

The Secretary General also had constructive discussions with the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation K.D. Lal Kantha and Deputy Minister of Tourism Prof. Ruwan Ranasingha during the visit.