Sri Lanka Expo 2027 received a major diplomatic boost as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism briefed around 100 representatives from foreign diplomatic missions on the country’s flagship international trade and investment exhibition, seeking their support to attract global buyers, investors, and business delegations.
Foreign missions urged to promote Sri Lanka Expo 2027 as premier trade and investment platform
The diplomatic briefing, organised at the request of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), was held on 12 June at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. The session brought together approximately 100 representatives from foreign diplomatic missions based in Colombo, as well as ambassadors and representatives of overseas missions accredited to Sri Lanka, participating both in person and virtually.
The event aimed to update the diplomatic community on the rescheduled Sri Lanka Expo 2027 and encourage foreign missions to actively promote the exhibition within their respective countries to maximise international participation.
Opening the event, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry Secretary Aruni Ranaraja highlighted the importance of coordinated stakeholder engagement in positioning Sri Lanka Expo 2027 as a successful international business event.
Addressing the gathering, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath underscored the strategic role of the exhibition in advancing Sri Lanka’s economic development agenda. He stressed that stronger international partnerships would be essential in attracting suitable buyers, investors, and business delegations while expanding Sri Lanka’s global trade and investment footprint.
Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Deputy Minister Chaturanga Abeysinghe described Sri Lanka Expo 2027 as an important platform for strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and creating new opportunities for trade and investment between Sri Lanka and participating countries. He called on diplomatic missions to facilitate connections with relevant business communities to maximise mutual commercial benefits.
Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry Secretary J.M. Thilaka Jayasundara thanked foreign missions for their continued support towards Sri Lanka’s national development priorities. She emphasised the importance of maintaining close collaboration with the international community to promote trade, investment, and long-term economic partnerships.
A comprehensive presentation on the exhibition was delivered by Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mangala Wijesinghe. The presentation outlined the objectives of Sri Lanka Expo 2027, its key focus sectors, expected outcomes, participation opportunities, and strategies to attract international buyers, investors, and business partners.
The EDB positions Sri Lanka Expo 2027 as the country’s premier international trade, investment, and business networking platform, bringing together Sri Lankan exporters, global buyers, investors, and industry stakeholders to explore opportunities for commercial collaboration and economic cooperation.
Originally scheduled for 2026, the exhibition has been rescheduled to take place from 14 to 17 January 2027 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo. The organisers said the decision was made after considering global economic conditions, fluctuations in logistics costs, and recommendations from key stakeholders to ensure a larger and more impactful international event.
The EDB said it continues to work closely with Sri Lanka’s overseas missions, foreign diplomatic missions, chambers of commerce, industry associations, and other stakeholders to promote Sri Lanka Expo 2027 across priority international markets.
The Board also expressed appreciation for the continued support of the diplomatic community and said it looks forward to working with international partners to position Sri Lanka as a competitive global trade and investment destination through the successful staging of Sri Lanka Expo 2027.