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Embassies and consular services for Sri Lanka
| Location | Service areas |
|---|---|
| High Commission for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | |
| New Zealand High Commission to Sri Lanka | Maldives, Bangladesh |
Our relationship with Sri Lanka
New Zealand's relationship with Sri Lanka is warm and growing. The opening of a New Zealand High Commission in Colombo in 2021 follows strong growth in bilateral trade and the potential for diversification.
Trade and economic
The trading relationship between New Zealand and Sri Lanka is long-standing and growing. New Zealand has a long history of dairy exports to Sri Lanka, in large quantities since the 1990s.
There is plenty of scope for trade to continue growing. There are more opportunities for cooperation in the education, tourism, and sporting sectors.
Information about New Zealand's trade with Sri Lanka is available on the New Zealand Trade Dashboard(external link).
People and culture
Diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Sri Lanka began in 1961. New Zealand and Sri Lanka share significant people-to-people links through education, tourism and the Sri Lankan diaspora in New Zealand. We also share many commonalities as island nations and Commonwealth members and enjoy a friendly rivalry on the cricket pitch.
We also work with the Government of Sri Lanka to promote safe and regular migration pathways, and to prevent human trafficking and labour exploitation for migrant workers.
Development cooperation and sustainability
New Zealand supports development in Sri Lanka through, agricultural and climate resilience activities, and activities that promote social cohesion.
Agriculture assistance is provided through activities which support the Dairy Cooperation Arrangement (DCA), a public-private partnership signed by the New Zealand and Sri Lanka Governments in 2013.
This aims to encourage the development of dairy sector cooperation, with an emphasis on the development of Sri Lanka’s dairy industry in conjunction with the Government of Sri Lanka providing a stable trading environment for industry. The private sector has also supported dairy sector initiatives.
New Zealand supports the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF)’s Sri Lanka Country Programme. GCERF funds activities run by grassroots organisations to build strong and inclusive communities.
Through our non-governmental organisation partners, we also support agricultural livelihoods, climate resilience and water access, community development projects, and carbon market capacity building.
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Facebook: New Zealand High Commission Sri Lanka(external link)