Sri Lanka–U.S. Relations Strengthened in High-Level Meeting at State Department

Courtesy Call of the Ambassador Mahinda Samarasinghe on Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur and Deputy Assistant Secretary Bethany Poulos Morrison, U.S. Department of State

The Ambassador Mahinda Samarasinghe called on Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Professor Paul Kapur, and Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) Bethany Poulos Morrison of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, on 12 November 2025, at the State Department. Prof Kapur succeeded former Assistant Secretary, Amb. Donald Lu.

Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur, who has visited Sri Lanka on multiple occasions as a scholar, reaffirmed the strong and cordial relations between Sri Lanka and the United States and engaged in discussions on areas of mutual interest, including bilateral cooperation, trade engagement, and regional developments in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific. During the meeting, he emphasized the strategic significance of the U.S.–Sri Lanka partnership for regional peace, prosperity, and stability. The Ambassador conveyed appreciation for the United States’ continued engagement with Sri Lanka and underscored Sri Lanka’s commitment, including the Prosperity Guardian Mission, highlighting opportunities for collaboration with Boeing as discussed during the President’s meeting, which was facilitated by the Ambassador.

Key ongoing economic matters were addressed, including Sri Lankan exports in the context of recent U.S. trade-tariff concerns, and the importance of strengthening market access, trade facilitation, and the investment climate. The Ambassador apprised both Assistant Secretary Kapur and DAS Morrison of the latest developments in the ongoing USTR negotiations. He further highlighted Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean and expressed interest in constructive engagement with the United States in areas such as maritime security, connectivity, supply-chain resilience, and education and training cooperation, particularly in hydrographic mapping. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of sharing data accumulated by foreign partners in Sri Lankan waters, noting the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) currently under finalization.

The Ambassador also requested the provision of a fifth Coast Guard cutter and briefed the U.S. side on how previously provided cutters have been utilized to enhance Indo-Pacific security, particularly in mitigating drug trafficking and human smuggling. Continued U.S. support for Sri Lanka’s capacity-building initiatives was welcomed. The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to further advance the Sri Lanka–U.S. partnership across bilateral and multilateral platforms trafficking and human smuggling and welcomed continued U.S. facilitation for Sri Lanka’s efforts in capacity-building.

The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to further advancing the Sri Lanka–U.S. partnership across bilateral and multilateral platforms.

Deputy Chief of Mission Madhuka Wickramachchi, Counsellor Chathuri Perera, and Defence Advisor Commodore Dumindu Abeywickrema accompanied the Ambassador to the meeting. Director, Alla Kamins and Sri Lanka Desk Officer, Iris Kim, also participated from the U.S. Department of State.

Embassy of Sri Lanka Washington D.C

14 November 2025