Sri Lanka, Germany sign agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation

Sri Lanka and Germany have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and promote development activities in Sri Lanka through German assistance.

The two countries signed agreements on a wide range of cooperation that covers education, language, museaology, heritage and art conservation, higher education, sports, improving access to information on the higher education systems in both countries, encouraging academic exchange in both directions and increasing the mobility of joint project partnerships between universities during the President’s visit to Germany.

On behalf of Sri Lanka, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Germany Karunathilaka Amunugama signed the agreements.

The three agreements that were signed on Thursday are as follows:

nJoint Declaration of Intent regarding cooperation on cultural relations and education policy. This covers areas such as education, language, musicology, heritage and art conservation, higher education and sports.

nMOU on Academic Co-Operation between the University Grants Commission and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). This covers areas such as improving access to information on the higher education systems in both countries, encouraging academic exchange in both directions, increasing the mobility of joint projects, and partnerships between universities.

nMOU with Heidelberg University on the creation of the Sri Lanka Chair at the South Asia Institute, signed by Prof. Bernhard Eitel and Ambasador Amunugama. This will provide for an exchange of German and Sri Lankan professors and enable the latter to teach and conduct research at the prestigious Heidelberg University, which is one of the top German universities.

Sri Lanka’s commerce with Germany can improve greatly. According to 2014 stats, Sri Lanka’s exports to Germany amount only to 4.5% of total exports.