Senior Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Mr. Shohei Hara, and the accompanying delegation met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on 11 August at Temple Trees.
The Prime Minister expressed her appreciation for the longstanding support extended by JICA towards Sri Lanka’s development and particularly acknowledged Japan’s assistance during the recovery efforts following Cyclone Ditwah.
The discussion focused on Sri Lanka’s post-disaster recovery and reconstruction priorities, including the rehabilitation of roads, railways and other critical infrastructure. The importance of strengthening the country’s disaster preparedness, risk reduction and readiness to respond to future natural disasters was also highlighted.
During the meeting, the ongoing debt restructuring process and the importance of strengthening Sri Lanka’s economic recovery were also discussed. Prime Minister Dr. Amarasuriya reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
The JICA delegation expressed its continued willingness to support Sri Lanka through lending assistance while also emphasizing the importance of ensuring tangible outcomes from development projects. They also highlighted their strong commitment to inclusive education programmes.
The discussion focused on key areas of cooperation, projects including development of Bandaranaike International Airport, granting assistance for a Doppler weather system and the Digital Terrestrial Television Network projects. Special attention was also drawn to waste management and renewable energy. Both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in these areas to support Sri Lanka’s long-term development.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Shigeo Honzu, Chief Representative, Sri Lanka Office, Mr. Minoru Matsunoshita, Senior Representative, Sri Lanka Offic, Mr. Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister and officials from Department of External Resource.
Prime Minister’s Media Division