Sri Lanka advances bilateral agreements with Indonesia and Saudi Arabia

Sri Lanka is advancing bilateral agreements with Indonesia and Saudi Arabia to enhance protections and legal frameworks for its citizens abroad.

In Jakarta, Sri Lankan Minister of Labour Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando and Indonesian Minister of Manpower Prof. Yassierli met to strengthen cooperation in the labour sector. The discussions focused on social security, migrant worker rights, and addressing irregular migration. Both nations agreed to develop an institutional framework to improve connectivity and coordinate mechanisms to combat human trafficking and smuggling.

Separately, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia are discussing formal agreements regarding prisoner transfers and mutual legal assistance. A potential prisoner transfer treaty would allow Sri Lankan nationals serving sentences in Saudi Arabia to be repatriated to serve their terms in Sri Lanka. These talks aim to bolster legal cooperation and support the large Sri Lankan diaspora community in the Kingdom, which contributes significantly to Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange through remittances.