Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Alisher Tukhtaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka with residence in Islamabad, presented copies of his credentials to Rohan Ambagolla, Chief of State Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, according to the Dunyo news agency.

During the meeting, Rohan Ambagolla expressed sincere appreciation to the leadership of Uzbekistan for the decision to appoint the country’s first ambassador to Sri Lanka, emphasizing the symbolic and strategic importance of this move as a political signal marking a new stage in the development of friendly relations between the two nations. He noted that it would provide fresh impetus to bilateral cooperation.

Sri Lanka reaffirmed its readiness to build a mutually beneficial partnership with Uzbekistan. The initiatives of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev aimed at strengthening ties with countries of the Global South, ensuring food security, and enhancing regional connectivity were highly praised by the Sri Lankan side.

The Foreign Ministry representative expressed confidence that Alisher Tukhtaev’s activities in Colombo would lay a solid foundation for establishing sustainable and systematic engagement across all areas.

Special attention was drawn to Sri Lanka’s strong interest in swiftly expanding practical cooperation with Uzbekistan, particularly in the fields of trade, logistics, education, and tourism.

The meeting also included an exchange of views on advancing economic diplomacy and exploring prospects for bilateral trade and economic relations. Both sides acknowledged the currently low level of trade turnover and agreed to jointly develop specific measures to raise it to US$50 million in the short term.

To boost mutual trade, discussions were held on the development of joint transport and logistics solutions, the introduction of digital platforms, and the application of modern information technologies to support export-import operations.