Gamagedara Disanayaka, Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs of Sri
Lanka, held a bilateral meeting with Nguyen Hai Trung, Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs
of Viet Nam, in Hanoi on the afternoon of 29 August 2026.
The meeting was attended by Poshitha Perera, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Viet Nam, Gamini
Senarathne, Commissioner General of the Department of Buddhist Affairs, other members of the Sri
Lankan delegation and representatives of relevant departments and agencies under the Vietnamese
Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.
Earlier that day, the Sri Lankan delegation presented a Sacred Bodhi Sapling propagated from the
Sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, which was ceremonially planted at Van Phuc Pagoda in
Hanoi.
The ceremony was witnessed by senior members of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha in Hanoi and
marked an important occasion of religious and cultural significance for monks, nuns and Buddhist
devotees in the capital.
The planting of the Sacred Bodhi Sapling also represented a meaningful expression of international
cultural exchange, people-to-people diplomacy and Buddhist diplomacy between Sri Lanka and Viet
Nam. The Bodhi tree, deeply revered in the Buddhist tradition, is expected to serve as a lasting
symbol of the enduring friendship and spiritual bonds between the peoples of the two countries.
Welcoming Deputy Minister Gamagedara Disanayaka and the Sri Lankan delegation to Viet Nam,
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hai Trung highlighted the longstanding traditional friendship between the two
countries. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1970, bilateral relations have been
continuously strengthened and expanded across a wide range of areas, including Buddhism, through
regular exchanges of monks and nuns as well as academic and educational cooperation in Buddhist
studies.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hai Trung noted that the visit constituted a practical step towards
implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Religious Cooperation signed between the
two Ministries during the State Visit of H.E. Tô Lâm, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet
Nam and President of Viet Nam, to Sri Lanka in May 2026.
The MoU provides a framework for enhancing cooperation between the two sides, including the
exchange of information and experiences in the field of religious affairs and state management;
promoting exchanges between religious delegations and Buddhist communities; and preserving and
promoting the cultural and religious heritage and values of both countries. These efforts are expected
to further strengthen the friendship and mutual understanding between the two Ministries and the
two countries.
Expressing appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious
Affairs of Viet Nam, Deputy Minister Gamagedara Disanayaka stated that the agreements and
understandings reached between the two sides have created favourable conditions for further
expanding bilateral cooperation in the religious and cultural spheres.
Referring to the Sacred Bodhi Sapling brought from Sri Lanka, the Deputy Minister expressed
appreciation to the Vietnamese authorities, the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha and relevant organizations
for facilitating its reception, planting and continued care.
He expressed the hope that the Bodhi tree would be carefully preserved and flourish at Van Phuc
Pagoda, serving for generations to come as an enduring symbol of the friendship, goodwill and
spiritual bonds between Sri Lanka and Viet Nam.
The Sri Lankan side also reaffirmed its readiness to share expertise and provide support, upon
request, in the preservation and promotion of Viet Nam's cultural, religious and heritage values.
Both sides agreed to prioritize practical and highly feasible initiatives that can deliver tangible
outcomes, with a view to further elevating religious and cultural cooperation as a sustainable pillar of
the Viet Nam–Sri Lanka Comprehensive Partnership.
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Sri Lanka Embassy
Ha Noi