The sixth round of Sri Lanka–Romania Political Consultations was successfully concluded on 22 October 2026 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, marking an important step in advancing bilateral relations.
Established under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2013, the consultations serve as a platform for reviewing bilateral relations and exchanging views on regional and global developments.
The consultations were co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment of Sri Lanka, Arun Hemachandra, and the State Secretary for Strategic Affairs of Romania, Ana Cristina Tinca.
Reviewing the progress made since the fifth round of consultations held in Colombo in June 2023, Deputy Minister Hemachandra briefed the Romanian delegation on Sri Lanka’s progress towards economic stabilisation and macroeconomic resilience. He highlighted the governance reforms introduced since late 2024 following the election that gave the incumbent administration a two-thirds parliamentary majority, enabling the Government to address economic challenges and strengthen anti-corruption measures.
Reaffirming Sri Lanka’s longstanding foreign policy of neutrality and universal friendship, Deputy Minister Hemachandra emphasised that strengthening strategic, trade and diplomatic ties with Romania remained an important priority for Sri Lanka.
State Secretary Ana Cristina Tinca outlined Romania’s political landscape following the investiture of a new government on 21 October 2026. She highlighted Romania’s strengths in high-value and high-growth sectors, including the chemical industry, green energy infrastructure and advanced cybersecurity, and invited further bilateral engagement in these areas.
Human capital and labour cooperation featured prominently in the discussions, with Deputy Minister Hemachandra noting that Romania had been a preferred destination for Sri Lankan professionals since 2016.
Both delegations welcomed recent amendments to Romania’s foreign worker recruitment laws, which complemented the MoU on Labour Cooperation signed in March 2026. Emphasising the importance of safe, ethical and orderly labour mobility, the co-chairs acknowledged the untapped potential for commercial cooperation and agreed to expedite pending bilateral agreements and MoUs.
The co-chairs also exchanged views on evolving multilateral developments and agreed to expand cooperation in key sectors, including academic exchanges, education, tourism, import and export, and social protection.
Both delegations further agreed to strengthen institutional ties through consular and police cooperation to combat transnational organised crime. To mark the growing friendship between the two countries, both sides agreed to organise a series of commemorative events in 2027 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Romania.
Deputy Minister Hemachandra conveyed Sri Lanka’s interest in hosting the seventh round of Sri Lanka–Romania Political Consultations in Colombo in the latter part of 2027 to maintain the momentum of bilateral engagement.
The Sri Lankan delegation included the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Romania, Samantha Pathirana; the Director General for Europe and North America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Dilani Weerakoon; and the Counsellor of the Embassy, Prarthana Kaushalya.
The Romanian delegation included the Director, Diana Tase; the Minister-Counsellor, Albert Robu; the Second Secretary, Theodora Drăgulescu; the Diplomatic Attaché of the Asia-Pacific and Latin America Division, Vlad Popescu; and a representative of the National Visa Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Gabriela Ionescu.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Bucharest
23 October 2026
