Sri Lanka And Singapore Strengthen Dialogue On AI And Digital Public Infrastructure

(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) A stakeholder meeting involving the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), AI Singapore, representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka and Connect to Care was held on 16 October 2026 at Google Singapore to explore opportunities to advance bilateral cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), digital public infrastructure (DPI) and digital transformation. The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore facilitated the meeting.

At the outset, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore, Senarath Dissanayake, highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in AI and DPI, building on the existing framework and fostering collaboration among relevant institutions and development partners.

Building on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on AI Cooperation signed in July 2025 between the Ministry of Digital Economy of Sri Lanka and AI Singapore, the participants explored ways to strengthen cooperation, promote knowledge exchange and capacity building, and identify practical applications of AI and digital technologies to improve public service delivery and support inclusive development in Sri Lanka.

The meeting brought together the Chief Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka on Digital Economy and Chairman of GovTech Sri Lanka, Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, who joined virtually; the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore, Senarath Dissanayake; the Director of Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), Daisy Boon; the Senior Manager of SCE, Yvonne Lim; the Head of Strategic Partnerships, AI Innovation, James Kok; the Senior Assistant Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office of Sri Lanka, Dr. Arjuna Rathnayake; the Chairman of Connect to Care, Chandita Samaranayake; and the Minister Counsellor (Commercial) of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore, Bhagya Abeykoon.

The meeting recognised the inclusion of the Sinhala language in AI Singapore's SEA-LION programme as an important step towards expanding AI applications in Sri Lanka's linguistic and national context. Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, identified as the delivery partner under the bilateral AI cooperation framework, was also recognised for its role in translating agreed areas of cooperation into practical outcomes.

The engagement builds on the High Commission's continued efforts to strengthen Sri Lanka–Singapore cooperation in AI and the digital economy, including by facilitating institutional engagements between the two countries.

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