Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development of Sri Lanka, Sunil Handunnetthi, visited Japan from 13 to 16 October 2026, leading a delegation of senior government officials and private-sector representatives to promote Sri Lanka’s mineral sector and explore opportunities for Japanese investment, technology transfer and value addition.
As part of the visit, the Sri Lanka–Japan Mineral Sector Promotion Seminar and Investor Roundtable Discussion was held on 14 October 2026 at the headquarters of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Tokyo. The event was jointly organised by the Commercial Section of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan and JETRO under the Economic Diplomacy Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism.
This marked the first time the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development had organised a delegation specifically dedicated to promoting a single economic sector in Japan. The initiative reflected the mineral sector’s importance as a priority sector under Sri Lanka’s National Export Development Programme (NEDP) and its potential to contribute towards the national target of US$36 billion in exports by 2030.
More than 100 participants attended the seminar, which featured presentations on Sri Lanka’s mineral resources, national mineral policy, investment framework and business opportunities. Ten Sri Lankan companies showcased their products and investment opportunities, followed by business-to-business discussions with Japanese stakeholders. The discussions highlighted potential cooperation in graphite, mineral sands, quartz and other mineral resources, with an emphasis on resource assessment, value-added production and reliable supply chains.
During the visit, the Minister and the delegation held meetings with senior representatives of key Japanese institutions, including the Chairman and CEO of the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), Ichiro Takahara; the Director General of JICA’s South Asia Department, Tetsuya Yamada; the Executive Vice President of JETRO, Akiko Okumura; and the State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Kei Takagi. The delegation also met the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kazuhiro Fujii.
The discussions focused on potential cooperation in geological surveys, resource assessment, technical capacity building, mineral processing and investment promotion. The visit aimed to strengthen Sri Lanka–Japan economic ties, attract investment into the mineral sector and support Sri Lanka’s export diversification and long-term development objectives.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Tokyo
19 October 2026
