Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan successfully concluded their second round of Foreign Office Consultations on Thursday. Led by Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Bakayev respectively, the discussions aimed at bolstering cooperation across various sectors.

The Kazakh delegation extended invitations for President Ranil Wickremesinghe to visit Kazakhstan officially and for Foreign Minister Ali Sabry to participate in the Astana International Forum in June 2024. Both sides prioritized enhancing cooperation in trade, tourism, energy, transport, and logistics. Notably, the resumption of direct charter flights by Air Astana to Sri Lanka has positively impacted tourism between the two nations, prompting discussions on a reciprocal visa-free arrangement.

Expressing solidarity, Wijewardane conveyed condolences for the recent floods in Kazakhstan and highlighted Sri Lanka's initiatives in climate change, including the tropical belt initiative and climate justice forum.

The consultations concluded with plans for the next round in 2025. Additionally, Wijewardane is set to engage with various Kazakh officials and visit key institutions, fostering deeper ties between the two nations. These developments follow a high-level meeting in 2023, where both countries agreed to establish reciprocal embassies in Colombo and Astana, with Sri Lanka's first resident diplomatic mission in Central Asia slated for Astana. Sri Lanka's membership in the Conference on Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) further solidifies its engagement with Kazakhstan.