Foreign Minister of Indonesia Retno Marsudi welcomed Foreign Minister GL Peiris to the Mission of Indonesia in New York where they held talks on Indian Ocean security and counter terrorism.
Issuing a Statement, the Foreign Ministry said Minister Peiris indicated that relations between the two countries as members of the nonaligned movement are critically important.
Minister Peiris also commented that Indonesia and Sri Lanka share a keen interest in Indian Ocean security.
Therefore he noted the two nations must further empower the Indian Ocean Rim Association and ASEAN Regional Forum.
Minister Peiris also appreciated the cooperation in defence, intelligence sharing and staff level consultations with regards to countering terrorism and other forms of maritime crimes.
The Lankan Foreign Minister further highlighted that Sri Lanka wishes to have greater interaction with ASEAN since there are vibrant trade relations with some members of ASEAN and the potential synergy is evident.
The Minister congratulated the Government of Indonesia on the remarkable success of combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
