Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai engaged in numerous activities Colombo capital and Kandy city during his two-day visit to Sri Lanka on March 21-22.

At the National Library of Sri Lanka, the Vice Chairman and his entourage paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh, offering flowers at his monument and visiting the Ho Chi Minh Space. He praised the library’s efforts in collecting and displaying materials on Ho Chi Minh’s life and career, including a translation of his Prison Diary into Sinhala, a language of Sri Lanka. He proposed closer cooperation between the national libraries of both countries to expand the collection.

Meeting General Secretary Weerasinghe Geeganage and other leaders of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, Vice Chairman Hai underscored the long-standing ties between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and Communist Party of Sri Lanka, supporting stronger bilateral relations, urging the two parties to continue exchanging issues of shared concern, promoting their friendship and cooperation.

General Secretary Geeganage congratulated Vietnam on its socio-economic achievements under the CPV leadership, describing the country's success as a model and a source of encouragement for communist and workers' parties worldwide. Affirming strong support and solidarity between the two parties, he expressed his wish to strengthen bilateral ties further, contributing to the development of the two countries' relations.

During discussions with the Sri Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association, the Vice Chairman commended its role since its inception in 1966 in fostering international support for Vietnam. He expressed gratitude for its efforts in strengthening tradition friendship between the two countries' people.

Association representatives pledged to continue promoting solidarity between the two countries.

On March 22, Central Province Governor Sarath Abeykoon welcomed Vice Chairman Hai, emphasising the visit’s role in enhancing ties between Sri Lanka’s Central Province and Vietnamese localities.

Hai highlighted the long-standing Buddhist connections between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, noting Buddhism’s values of peace and compassion as a spiritual bridge between the nations. Abeykoon praised Vietnam’s economic progress as an example for Sri Lanka.

As part of his visit, Vice Chairman Hai toured the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the Vietnam Corner at the International Buddhist Museum, and Truc Lam Zen Monastery, the first Vietnamese temple in Sri Lanka. He commended the monastery’s contributions to promoting Buddhist values and Vietnamese culture./.