Colombo: The President of the International Relations and Global Diplomacy Dialogue (IRGDD), Amb. Dr. Sarmila Parajuli Dhakal, paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka (NAQDA), where she was warmly received by Kithsiri Dharmapriya, Chairman of NAQDA.
NAQDA is Sri Lanka’s premier government institution mandated to promote and develop sustainable aquaculture and inland fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Marine Resources. The Authority plays a pivotal role in advancing aquaculture through scientific research, hatchery development, technology transfer, farmer extension services, capacity building, value-chain enhancement, and export-oriented production, while supporting food security, rural livelihoods, and the sustainable growth of Sri Lanka’s blue economy.
During the meeting, Amb. Dr. Sarmila presented IRGDD’s vision of fostering international partnerships in aquaculture, science diplomacy, and sustainable economic development. She emphasized IRGDD’s interest in learning from successful regional experiences, facilitating the exchange of scientific knowledge and emerging technologies, and promoting collaboration among governments, research institutions, academia, development partners, and the private sector.
She highlighted that innovation, technology transfer, and international cooperation are essential drivers of sustainable economic growth, enabling countries to enhance productivity, strengthen food security, create employment opportunities, and improve the livelihoods of local communities. In this regard, IRGDD expressed its readiness to serve as a platform for building strategic partnerships that encourage investment, research collaboration, policy dialogue, and capacity development across the region.
The discussions recognized Sri Lanka’s significant achievements in advancing its blue economy through sustainable aquaculture, sound institutional governance, and the adoption of modern technologies. Amb. Dr. Sarmila noted that Sri Lanka’s experience offers valuable lessons for regional cooperation and knowledge sharing, particularly for countries seeking to strengthen their aquaculture sectors through innovation and scientific collaboration.
She also highlighted Nepal’s immense freshwater resources—including its rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and high-altitude water bodies—which present substantial opportunities for sustainable freshwater aquaculture. Nepal’s strategic location between two of the world’s largest consumer markets, India and China, together with its growing domestic demand, offers promising prospects for investment, value-added processing, and export-oriented fisheries and aquaculture development.
Both Amb. Dr. Sarmila and Chairman Kithsiri Dharmapriya underscored the importance of strengthening regional cooperation to empower small-scale fishers and aquaculture farmers through improved technologies, scientific research, skills development, sustainable production systems, and enhanced access to regional and international markets. They agreed that closer collaboration can contribute significantly to inclusive economic growth, food security, rural prosperity, and the advancement of the blue economy across South Asia.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to explore institutional partnerships between Sri Lanka and Nepal that promote innovation, scientific exchange, capacity building, and sustainable aquaculture as an important pillar of regional economic diplomacy and long-term development
