Japan Signals Strong Support for Sri Lanka’s Blue Economy and Farming Future

COLOMBO (News 1st); Japan has expressed its willingness to support the development of Sri Lanka’s fisheries and agriculture sectors.

The commitment emerged during high-level discussions between Sri Lanka’s Minister of Fisheries, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, and Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The talks were held in Tokyo on the sidelines of the Island States Ocean Summit, an international gathering focused on sustainable solutions for maritime and climate challenges.

In addition to ministerial-level engagements, the Sri Lankan delegation also held discussions with senior officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), one of Japan’s leading development partners.

The delegation also met with representatives of Japan’s fisheries research and academic institutions.

The 'Island States Ocean Summit: Sustainable Ocean Action for Resilient Islands’ will bring together Heads of State and high-level representatives of Island States along with technical and financial partners in Tokyo, Japan, from 3 to 4 June 2026 to bolster evidence-based, climate-resilient sustainable ocean planning and management.

The Summit builds on the outcome of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference and contributes to the vision of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

The Nippon Foundation, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO is jointly hosting the Island States Ocean Summit.