Overview

Australia and Sri Lanka share a long history of cooperation across trade and investment [PDF], education, sport, culture and development. In 2022, our two countries celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations.

Australia and Sri Lanka have common interests in a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean region. We engage regularly on issues ranging from economic, security and development priorities, to human rights and reconciliation.

High-level visits and meetings

Bilateral visits and meetings include:

• September 2026, the sixth Senior Officials Talks in Colombo, held alongside the fourth Strategic Maritime Dialogue and the fourth Joint Trade and Investment Committee meeting
• July 2026, the Hon Tim Watts MP, Special Envoy for the Indian Ocean, visited Sri Lanka
• May 2026, the Hon Vijitha Herath, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, visited Australia and met with Foreign Minister Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for International Development, Multicultural Affairs and Small Business, the Hon Dr Anne Aly MP, and Speaker of the House of Representatives the Hon Milton Dick MP
• December 2025, Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Minister for International Education, the Hon Julian Hill MP, visited Sri Lanka and met with Dr Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister and Education Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education of Sri Lanka
• October 2025, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne headed a delegation visit to Australia
• September 2025, Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese met President H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York
• August 2025, the Governor-General of Australia, the Hon Sam Mostyn AC, visited Sri Lanka and met with President H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya, and civil society organisations
• July 2025, Foreign Minister Senator the Hon Penny Wong met Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath on the margins of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur
• June 2025 Deputy Prime Minister the Hon Richard Marles visited Sri Lanka and met with President H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath
• June 2025, Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister for Industries and Entrepreneurship Development the Hon Chathuranga Abeysinghe MP visited Australia
• March 2025, the fifth Senior Official Talks and the third Strategic Maritime Dialogue in Canberra

Trade and investment

The 2017 Australia-Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA) supports economic cooperation between Australia and Sri Lanka. Under TIFA, the Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) works to strengthens our economic relationship, including by facilitating market access and investment. The TIFA was renewed in 2023.

n 2025, two-way trade between Australia and Sri Lanka was valued at approximately $3.3 billion, an increase of around 14 per cent from the previous year. Australian exports were led by education services and agricultural products. Australia's total investment in Sri Lanka was $ 263million in 2025, and Sri Lanka's total investment in Australia was $214 million.

According to the Government of Sri Lanka, Australia was Sri Lanka’s sixth largest source of tourists in 2025. Australia has supported the development of Sri Lanka’s national tourism strategy and continues to support the sector’s recovery and resilience.

Education

Australia is a longstanding education partner of Sri Lanka. In 2025, approximately 20,000 Sri Lankan students were studying in Australia. Currently, 52 Australian education institutions operate in Sri Lanka, many in partnership with local Sri Lankan education providers.

More than 1,250 Australia Awards scholarships have been awarded to Sri Lankans since 1972, including 28 in 2025-26. Many scholarship recipients have made a valuable contribution to Sri Lanka’s development, through their work in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

There are significant opportunities to expand collaboration in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

People-to-people links

We have strong and enduring people-to-people links across all sectors of society, including education, media, culture, literature, science, sport, medicine, politics, commerce and law.

Australia is home to a Sri Lankan diaspora of around 200,000 people, who make a significant contribution to Australia’s multicultural society and economy.

Human rights and Reconciliation

Australia is a long-time supporter of Sri Lanka in its reconciliation journey following the 26-year civil conflict that ended in 2009.

Australia actively encourages efforts to strengthen transitional justice, reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka. Australian assistance includes economic development in the North and East of Sri Lanka, civil society strengthening assistance, and support for peacebuilding and reconciliation measures across the country.

Australia’s investment in de-mining has enabled the safe resettlement of more than 300,000 people internally displaced during the civil war. Australia has also supported the reconstruction of essential infrastructure, including roads, railways, water and energy facilities, helping drive recovery and economic growth in some of Sri Lanka’s poorest regions.

Cooperation on transnational crime

Australia and Sri Lanka cooperate closely to counter transnational crime, including people smuggling. Sri Lanka is a member of the Ad Hoc Group of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime which Australia co-chairs.

Counter-terrorism cooperation

Australia provided practical support and solidarity to Sri Lanka following the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. The Australian Federal Police assisted the Sri Lankan Police in investigating the attacks by sharing counter-terrorism, intelligence and forensic resources.

Australia consistently and strongly opposes all forms of terrorism, including terrorist acts by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). On 21 December 2001, the Minister for Foreign Affairs imposed counter-terrorism financing sanctions on the LTTE in accordance with Australia's obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1373 on the prevention and suppression of terrorist acts. The LTTE listing was most recently renewed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2025. Under Australian sanctions law, it is a criminal offence to use or deal with assets held by the LTTE, or to make assets available to the LTTE, whether directly or indirectly.

Regional and global cooperation

Australia and Sri Lanka work together in regional and multilateral forums to strengthen collective security and prosperity in the region, including as members of the Commonwealth. Both countries are active members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). We also collaborate through the  ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and other ASEAN-led mechanisms.