Overview

Australia and Sri Lanka share a history of cooperation in trade and investment, education, sport, culture and development. In 2022, Australia and Sri Lanka 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 a wide range of issues, from economic, security and development priorities, to human rights and reconciliation.

High-level visits and meetings

Bilateral visits and meetings include:

• in 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
• in June 2025 Deputy Prime Minister the Hon Richard Marles visited Sri Lanka and met with President H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath
• in June 2025, Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister for Industries and Entrepreneurship Development the Hon Chathuranga Abeysinghe MP visited Australia
• in March 2025, the fifth Senior Official Talks and the third Strategic Maritime Dialogue in Canberra
• in April 2024, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Deputy Secretary of South and Southeast Asia Group, Ms Michelle Chan, visited Colombo and met Ministers, Members of Parliament and officials
• in February 2024, Foreign Minister, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, met the then-President of Sri Lanka, H.E. Ranil Wickremesinghe, and then-Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ali Sabry in the margins of the Indian Ocean Conference 2024 in Perth
• in October 2023, then Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Tim Watts MP, visited Sri Lanka for the 23rd meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers meeting
• in July 2023, the fourth Senior Officials Talks in Colombo, alongside the second Strategic Maritime Dialogue and the third Joint Trade and Investment Committee meeting
• in November 2022, then Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Tim Watts MP, met then-Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ali Sabry, in Dhaka at the 22nd meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers meeting
• in June 2022 then Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon Clare O'Neil MP, visited Sri Lanka and met then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and then Minister of Foreign Affairs G. L. Peiris
• in 2021 then Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon Karen Andrews MP, visited Sri Lanka
• in 2019 the Third Senior Officials' Talks in Colombo, alongside the inaugural Strategic Maritime Dialogue and the second Joint Trade and Investment Committee meeting

Trade and investment

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

In 2023–24, Australia and Sri Lanka shared trade of approximately $2.17 billion, with Australian exports driven by education services and agricultural products. Australia's total investment in Sri Lanka was $206 million in 2024, and Sri Lanka's total investment in Australia was $124 million.

According to the Government of Sri Lanka, in 2024, Australia was the 7th largest source of tourists to Sri Lanka. Australia supported Sri Lanka to deliver a national tourism development strategy. We continue to support tourism recovery and resilience in Sri Lanka.

Education

Australia is a longstanding education partner to Sri Lanka. In 2025, there were nearly 20,000 Sri Lankan students studying in Australia. There are 47 Australian education institutions operating already in Sri Lanka, many in partnership with local Sri Lankan education providers.

More than 1,250 Australia Awards scholarships have been provided to Sri Lankans since 1972, including 28 in 2025-26. Many scholarship recipients have gone on to make a valuable contribution to Sri Lanka’s development, through their ongoing work in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.  In 2024, 23 women entrepreneurs were supported to participate in the Export Council of Australia’s Women Trading Globally short course designed to help them grow their businesses.

Significant opportunities exist to increase collaboration in the technical and vocational education (TVET) sector.

People-to-people links

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

The Sri Lankan diaspora in Australia now exceeds 170,000 individuals. The large Sri Lankan community contributes significantly to strengthening 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 resulted in the safe relocation of more than 300,000 people displaced internally during the civil war and helped reconstruct infrastructure such as roads, railways and water supply and energy facilities, support the poorest regions to grow. 

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.

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