CHRONICLES OF VIETNAM – SRI LANKA RELATIONS

Ø 14 June 1911: Ho Chi Minh first time stopped over in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the road to Europe to find way to salvage Vietnam.

Ø 1928: On the way from Italy to Thailand, Ho Chi Minh again stopped over in Sri Lanka (He also spent some days in Kandy).

Ø October 1946: President Ho Chi Minh and his entourage stopped over in Colombo on the way to Vietnam after the negotiation in Fontenbleau, France.

Ø July 1964: Consular relations were set up between Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

Ø 21 July 1970: Vietnam and Sri Lanka established diplomatic relations at Ambassadorial level.

Ø 1971: Vietnam Embassy was first time opened in Colombo.

Ø  1976: H.E. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Binh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam visited Sri Lanka.

Ø 2-5 March 1978: Prime Minister Pham Van Dong visited Sri Lanka, planting a memorial tree in Kandy

Ø 1982: Vietnam Embassy in Colombo closed.

Ø May 1999: Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Lakshman Kadirgamar paid an official visit to Vietnam.

Ø June 2000: Secretary of Defence Ministry of Sri Lanka A. Chandrananda visited Vietnam.

Ø March 2002: Deputy Foreign Minister of Vietnam Le Cong Phung visited Sri Lanka.

Ø June 2002: Minister of Commerce and Consumption of Sri Lanka visited Vietnam.

Ø 01/16/2003: Sri Lanka Embassy opened in Vietnam.

Ø 7/2003: Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien visited Sri Lanka.

Ø 10/2003: Vietnam Deputy Minister of Trade Do Nhu Dinh visited Sri Lanka.

Ø 10/2003: Joint Commission between Vietnam and Sri Lanka established in Hanoi, First meeting was held at the same time.

Ø December 2004: Minister of Agriculture and water resources of Sri Lanka visited Vietnam.

Ø March 2005: Vietnam Minister Fisheries Ta Quang Ngoc visited Sri Lanka.

Ø February 2006: Parliament Speaker of Sri Lanka visited Vietnam.

Ø 26-29 November 2006: Prime Minister of Sri Lanka paid an official visit to Vietnam.

Ø 28 March -5 April 2007: Minister of Livestock Development of Sri Lanka visited Vietnam.

Ø April 2008: Deputy Ministry of Defence, Security, Law and Order of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa visited Vietnam.

Ø 24 July 2008: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the AMM-41 in Singapore.

Ø September 2008: Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion of Sri Lanka Anura Yapa Priyadarshana accompanied by 12 top enterprises of Sri Lanka visited Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.

Ø 5-6 March 2009: Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama paid an official visit to Vietnam.

Ø 19/05/2009: Sri Lanka President made a telephone call to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to inform the victory over the LTTE.

Ø May 2009: Vietnam Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh met Sri Lanka Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the 8^th Asian Security Conference in Singapore

Ø 14 July 2009: Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem met Sri Lanka Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the 15^th NAM Summit in Egypt.

Ø 10-11 August 2009: Deputy Foreign Minister Dao Viet Trung attended the 2^nd Join Commission between Vietnam and Sri Lanka held in Colombo

Ø 4-8 October 2009: Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Huu Hao visited Sri Lanka.

Ø 14-15 October 2009: Deputy Foreign Minister Doan Xuan Hung attended the 8^th Asia Dialogue Ministerial Meeting held in Colombo

Ø 14-16 October 2009: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met Sri Lanka Prime Minister Wickramanayka on the sidelines of the 10^th International Exhibition of Economics and Trade held in Chengdu- Si Chuan, China

Ø 22-24 October 2009: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa made an official visit to Vietnam.

Ø 6-7 June 2010: Vietnam Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Dương Quang visited Sri Lanka, innaugurating the Sri Lanka – Vietnam Business Council.

Ø 20-26 June 2010: A Vietnam Defence Ministry delegation visited Sri Lanka to discuss on demining issue.

Ø 21 July 2010: Celebration of the 40^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam - Sri Lanka.

Ø 27-29 August 2010: Vice-Chairman of Communist Party Committee for External Affairs Vuong Thua Phong participated in the 19^th Congress of the Sri Lankan Communist Party in Colombo.

Ø 11 February 2011: Vietnam Government’s resolution to open Vietnam Embassy in Sri Lanka.

Ø 17 April 2011: Vietnam ambassador to Sri Lanka, H.E.Mr. Ton Sinh Thanh arrived in Colombo

Ø 26 April 2011: Vietnam Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh presented credentials to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Ø 4-8 May 2011: Deputy Finance Minister to visit Sri Lanka Gitanjana VN ADB conference in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh visits.

Ø 10 May 2011: Office of the Embassy temporarily was opened at 26-1A, Empire Building, Braybrooke Place, Colombo 2 (Ambassador’s Private Apartment). Embassy began to issue Visa.

Ø 13 May 2011: The Sri Lanka - Vietnam Solidarity Association held a ceremony to celebrate the reopening Vietnam Embassy.

Ø 20 May 2011: Opening of International Buddhist Museum in Kandy, Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh attended, opening the Vietnam Buddhist Gallery.

Ø 13-16 July 2011: Sri Lankan Minister of Agriculture visited Vietnam.

Ø 16-18 July 2011: Vietnam National Assembly’s Chairwoman of the Social Committee Truong Thi Mai visited Sri Lanka to attend an international conference.

Ø 28-31 July 2011: Vietnam Deputy Minister for Agriculture Vu Van Tam visited Sri Lanka to attend an Asia – Pacific Conference on Fisheries. He held bilateral talks with Sri Lankan counterpart.

Ø 29 August 2011: Vietnam Embassy for the first time celebrated Vietnam National Reception in Colombo. Later, the Sri Lanka – Vietnam Solidarity Association also held a rally to celebrate the occasion, presenting awards to the winners of the competition of essays on Sri Lanka – Vietnam Friendship.

Ø 3-8 September 2011, Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa visited Vietnam.

Ø 10-19 September 2011: A delegation of officials from Western Province visited Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh.

Ø 21 September 2011, Sri Lanka – Vietnam Parliament friendship foundation was established in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Ø 13-15 October 2011, President Truong Tan Sang and the First Lady paid a state visit to Sri Lanka.

Ø 15 October 2011, the official inauguration of the Embassy of Vietnam in Sri Lanka.