Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Brazil and Sri Lanka celebrated in 2020 60 years of diplomatic relations, established in 1960.The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brasilia, the first one of that country in South America, was opened in 2001. The Embassy of Brazil in Colombo was initially opened between 1962 and 1967 and resumed its operations in December 2007.

Bilateral agreements in the areas of technical cooperation; gainful occupation of dependent family members of diplomatic, consular, military, administrative and technical personnel; and partial visa waiver are in effect. An agreement on air services signed in 2017 was approved by the National Congress in May 2022. Technical cooperation projects in dairy cattle farming and sugar cane production are under negotiation. In 2011 the foreign ministers of the two countries established a political consultations agreement aimed at holding regular meetings on bilateral, regional and multilateral themes.

In 2021, bilateral trade reached $87.1 million, with Brazilian exports totaling $20.3million and imports from Sri Lanka amounting to $66.8 million. The main Brazilian exports in 2021included synthetic rubber and cotton textiles while main imports were clothing and vehicle parts (particularly rubber tires)

Chronology of bilateral relations

2022 – Technical meeting between the Federal University of Viçosa and the Sri Lankan counterpart in the scope of a cooperation project in dairy cattle farming (January); technical meeting between the Federal University of São Carlos and the Sri Lankan counterpart in the scope of a cooperation project in sugarcane (June).

2018 – Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Gamini Vijith Wijayamuni Zoysa travels to Brazil  as head of delegation to the 8th World Water Forum, in Brasília (March)

2013 – Foreign Minister, Prof.  G. L. Peiris, visits  Brazil (February)

2012 – President Mahinda Rajapaksa visits Brazil to participate in the Rio+20 Conference (June)

2011 – Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka visits Brazil to participate in the inauguration ceremony of President Dilma Rousseff (January). Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota visits Sri Lanka (March)

2008 – Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Mahinda Rajapaksa meet on the sidelines of the FAO High Level Conference on Food Security, in Rome; technical mission of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Agriculture to Brazil to learn about the Brazilian experience in agricultural research; foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and Minister of Housing Development, Geethanjana Gunawardena, visit Brazil.

2007 – Bilateral meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Celso Amorim, with the Foreign Minister  of Sri Lanka, Rohitha Bogollagama, on the sidelines of the 62nd United Nations General Assembly; the Embassy of Brazil in Colombo resumes its activities (Decree No. 5,632, of 12/22/2005)

2005 – The Minister of Science and Technology of Sri Lanka, Tissa Vitarana, visits Brazil. The ambassador in New Delhi, José Vicente Pimentel, special envoy of the President of the Republic, visits Sri Lanka

2004 – Brazil sends humanitarian aid to tsunami victims (December)

2001 – Opening of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brasilia

1998 – The Minister of Justice, Constitutional Affairs, Ethnic Affairs and Integration of Sri Lanka, Professor G. L. Peiris, visits Brazil

1969 – The Honorary Consulate of Brazil in Colombo is created

1967 – Functions of the Brazilian Embassy in Colombo are discontinued and the representation   becomes cumulative with the Embassy in New Delhi

1962 – Opening of the Embassy of Brazil in Colombo, Sri Lanka (created by Decree No. 48751, of 11/08/1960)

1960 – Establishment of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Sri Lanka (22 January). Initially, the Brazilian representation was cumulative with the Embassy in New Delhi