World Bank President visits Sri Lanka after two decades, pledges development support

President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, met with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday afternoon (May 7) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

This visit marks a milestone, as it is the first time in nearly two decades that a President of the World Bank Group has visited Sri Lanka.

During the meeting, discussions centered on strengthening collaboration to support Sri Lanka’s future development agenda. Priority areas identified included digitalization, tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure development, with particular emphasis on achieving short-term gains, including advancing development in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

The Sri Lankan government’s efforts to establish a robust legal framework conducive to attracting new investments, along with recent policy initiatives, were also discussed.

Attendees at the meeting included Trevor Kincaid, Special Advisor – World Bank Group; David Sislen, Country Division Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka – World Bank Group; Imad Fakhoury, Regional Director – South Asia, International Finance Corporation; and Gevorg Sargsyan, Country Manager for Maldives & Sri Lanka – World Bank Group.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Harshana Suriyapperuma, and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu, along with several other dignitaries, also attended the occasion.