Overview

Australia and Sri Lanka share a history of cooperation in trade and investment, education, sport, culture and development. In 2022, Australia and Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations.

Australia and Sri Lanka have common interests in a open, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean region. We engage regularly on a wide range of issues, from economic, security and development priorities, to human rights and reconciliation.

High-level visits and meetings

Bilateral visits and meetings include:

• in February 2024, Foreign Minister, the Hon Senator Penny Wong met with H.E. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, then-President of Sri Lanka and then-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry in the margins of the Indian Ocean Conference 2024 in Perth. 
• in October 2023, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Tim Watts MP, visited Sri Lanka for the 23rd meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers meeting
• in November 2022, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Tim Watts MP, met then-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry, in Dhaka at the 22nd meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers meeting
• in June 2022 Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil visited Sri Lanka and met then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Minister of Foreign Affairs G. L. Peiris
• in 2021 then Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews visited Sri Lanka
• in 2019 the Third Senior Officials' Talks in Colombo, alongside the inaugural Strategic Maritime Dialogue and the second Joint Trade and Investment Committee meeting.
• in 2019 then-Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton visited Sri Lanka.
• in 2018 then-State Minister for Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake visited Australia.
• in 2017 there were several high-level visits, including then President Maithripala Sirisena and then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to Australia, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Australia-Sri Lanka diplomatic relationship. Then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and then-Foreign Minister Julie Bishop travelled to Sri Lanka in the same year.

Trade and investment

The 2017 Australia-Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA) advances economic cooperation between Australia and Sri Lanka. Under TIFA, the Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTC) strengthens our economic relationship, including facilitating market access and investment. This makes it easier for Australian and Sri Lankan businesses to trade and invest with each other. The TIFA was renewed in 2023.

In 2022-2023, Australia and Sri Lanka shared trade of approximately $1.7 billion, with Australian exports driven by education services and agricultural products. Australia's total investment in Sri Lanka was $115 million in 2023, and Sri Lanka's total investment in Australia was $83 million.

According to the Sri Lankan Government, in 2023, Australia was the fifth largest source of tourists to Sri Lanka. Australia supported Sri Lanka to deliver a national tourism development strategy. We continue to support tourism recovery and resilience in Sri Lanka.

Education

Education plays a significant role in Australia's relationship with Sri Lanka. In 2023, there were more than 13,500 Sri Lankan students studying in Australia. Significant opportunities exist to increase collaboration in the technical and vocational education (TVET) sector.

The Australia Awards program continues to provide education opportunities most valued by Sri Lanka’s public and private sector. A total of 24 Sri Lankans will be awarded long-term Australia awards scholarships in 2024 and a cohort of women entrepreneurs will be supported to participate in the Export Council of Australia’s Women Trading globally short course to help them grow their businesses.

People-to-people links

We have strong and enduring people-to-people links, that are extensive across all sectors of society — education, media, culture, literature, science, sport, medicine, politics, commerce and law.

The Sri Lankan diaspora in Australia now exceeds 160,000 individuals. The large Sri Lankan community contributes significantly to strengthening Australia's multicultural society and economy.

Human rights and Reconciliation

Australia is a long-time supporter of Sri Lanka in its reconciliation journey following the 26-year civil conflict that ended in 2009.

Australia actively encourages efforts to strengthen transitional justice, reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka. Australian assistance includes economic development in North and East Sri Lanka, technical support through the United Nations for the Office on Missing Persons and the Office for Reparations. Assistance also extends to mine clearance. Australia's commitment to demining contributes to the safe resettlement of displaced communities and increases access to contaminated land for safe, productive use.

Cooperation on transnational crime

Australia and Sri Lanka cooperate closely to counter transnational crime, including people smuggling. Sri Lanka is a member of the Ad Hoc Group of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime which Australia co-chairs.

Australia provided practical support and solidarity to Sri Lanka following the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. The Australian Federal Police assisted the Sri Lankan Police in investigating the attacks by sharing counter-terrorism, intelligence and forensic resources.

Australia consistently and strongly opposes all forms of terrorism, including terrorist acts by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). On 21 December 2001, the Minister for Foreign Affairs imposed counter-terrorism financing sanctions on the LTTE in accordance with Australia's obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1373 on the prevention and suppression of terrorist acts. The LTTE listing was most recently renewed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2022. Under Australian sanctions law, it is a criminal offence to use or deal with assets held by the LTTE, or to make assets available to the LTTE, whether directly or indirectly.

Regional and global cooperation

Australia and Sri Lanka work together in a number of regional and multilateral forums to strengthen collective security and prosperity in the region, including as members of the Commonwealth. Australia and Sri Lanka engage through the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and are active members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). We also collaborate in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and other ASEAN-led architecture.