Seventy years ago, Australia’s first Commissioner to Ceylon, Charles Frost, arrived in Colombo. A year later, Ceylon chose Australia as home to its fourth diplomatic mission, signifying the importance Sri Lanka’s founding leaders placed on our relationship.   

As neighbours across the Indian Ocean, Australia and Sri Lanka have become close partners with shared strategic and economic interests.   

My visit to Colombo this week will further strengthen Australia’s security, economic and development partnership with Sri Lanka, building on the landmark visits to Australia by President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe earlier this year.   

Our relationship is founded on close social and cultural bonds.   

Australia’s large and vibrant Sri Lankan community has made a significant contribution across all sectors of our society – business, law, science, medicine, education, media, culture and sport. Many of our 170,000 Sri Lankan Australians are drawing on their Australian experiences to make a contribution to Sri Lanka’s development.   

Reflecting on the long-standing diplomatic mission between Australia and Sri Lanka which began 70 years ago

Over 7,600 Sri Lankans are currently studying in Australia. This brings to around 30,000 the number of Sri Lankans that have studied in Australia since 1951, including 1,000 on Australian Government scholarships.   

The cultural exchange works both ways. Last year, 75,000 Australians visited Sri Lanka to experience its beauty and diversity. By the end of this year, over 300 young Australians will have studied or interned in Sri Lanka under the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan, building connections in fields such as health, biological science, architecture, information technology, agricultural and environment studies, commerce and law.   

We share a great love of cricket – and a long and healthy rivalry. Australians recall the Australian team’s defeat in last year’s Test Series in Sri Lanka.   

Our values are closely aligned.   

We share a belief in the rule of law and a firm commitment to democracy. We share a commitment to a rules-based international order and ambitions for stronger regional relationships in the Indian Ocean.   

As maritime trading nations, we work closely to foster security and prosperity in the region we both call home.   

Our ongoing collaboration to combat people smuggling has greatly diminished this unconscionable criminal trade – saving many lives that would otherwise have been lost at sea.   

Australia has long supported Sri Lanka’s future as a prosperous and harmonious nation.   
We see opportunity to expand our economic relationship, particularly in agribusiness, mining, skills, tourism and energy. We are exploring the possibility of an Economic Framework Agreement to expand bilateral trade and investment.   

We are deepening our partnership in a number of new areas – including science, innovation, resources and energy.   

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation will collaborate with Sri Lankan researchers to address the prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in Sri Lanka, which has affected so many lives.   

Our national geological agency, Geoscience Australia, will collaborate with Sri Lankan experts to map Sri Lanka’s minerals, helping develop a sustainable resources sector to deliver economic growth and jobs for all Sri Lankans.   

Australia has provided around $250 million toward post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation since the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009.We continue to be a constructive supporter of Sri Lanka’s ongoing reconciliation efforts, as we understand successful implementation is critical to Sri Lanka’s long-term security and prosperity.   

Our development assistance focuses on building skills, helping small businesses, supporting economic reform and boosting women’s workforce participation. Together, we are working to ensure opportunities are shared as broadly as possible.   

This is a time of great hope and opportunity for Sri Lanka and for the deepening friendship between our two countries.