Colombo | July 23, 2025
Today, a significant diplomatic event took place in the capital of Sri Lanka — I presented a copy of my Letter of Credence to the Chief of State Protocol of Sri Lanka, the Honorable Mr. Rohan Ambagolla, thereby officially commencing my duties as the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, with residence in Islamabad.
During our conversation, Mr. Ambagolla expressed sincere gratitude to the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for the historic decision to establish a permanent diplomatic mission in Colombo. He emphasized that this step represents a powerful political signal and marks the beginning of a qualitatively new stage in our bilateral relations.
He highly praised the broad-reaching reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Mirziyoyev, noting:
- steady GDP growth
- large-scale infrastructure modernization
- a significantly improved investment climate
- consistent improvement in living standards
According to him, Uzbekistan is now one of the most dynamically developing countries in the region, confidently advancing along the path of modernization and openness.
On behalf of Uzbekistan, I proposed a set of concrete initiatives aimed at enhancing the practical substance of bilateral economic cooperation:
Opening an Uzbekistan Trade House in Colombo
Launching targeted exports of dried fruits, flour, cotton yarn, and construction materials
Initiating direct negotiations with major Sri Lankan retail chains
Developing joint logistics solutions for the re-export of Sri Lankan tea and spices to Central Asia and the CIS via Uzbekistan
Offering educational and IT platforms, including online programs for youth, farmers, and technical specialists.
Sri Lanka expressed full openness to this new format of partnership and confirmed its interest in Uzbekistan’s strategic initiatives focused on:
strengthening regional connectivity
ensuring food security
expanding sustainable trade and logistics relations with Global South countries
✨ Two ancient civilizations — one shared path toward a prosperous future.
Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka — united in peace, progress, and mutual respect.
