Van Hollen – Member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee & Appropriations Subcommittee on State & Foreign Operations – to Visit Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, will make an official visit to Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Maldives over the next week. During his travel, the Senator will work to strengthen our bilateral relations with each of these nations. Over 8 days, the Senator will host more than 50 meetings with key government officials, civil society organizations, industry leaders, non-profits, local Embassy staff, and others, including Americans and Marylanders working in each nation. As the Co-Chair and cofounder of the bipartisan Foreign Service Caucus, the Senator looks forward to thanking the men and women of the Foreign Service and all Americans serving abroad for their service to our country. Throughout his travel, the Senator will visit a wide array of U.S.-supported projects and locations of cultural significance. The goal of the trip is to strengthen the bonds between the United States and each of these countries, including through enhanced security cooperation, deepening economic ties, combating climate change, and advancing democracy and human rights. 

“When we build strong and meaningful partnerships across the world, we strengthen our security, create more opportunities for American exports and workers, and brighten the future of all our peoples. On this trip, I look forward to promoting closer ties between the United States and these important countries in South Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region and to discussing a wide range of issues, including our mutual security interests, expanding economic opportunities for all, addressing the climate crisis, and protecting human rights. I hope this trip will further deepen the bonds of friendship between the United States and the peoples of Sri Lanka, Nepal and Maldives,” said Senator Van Hollen.

In visiting Sri Lanka, the Senator will focus on ways the United States can further assist efforts to overcome its economic crisis; strengthen our partnership on maritime security and climate change issues, and discuss the way forward on human rights and reconciliation to ensure that all the people of Sri Lanka can participate fully and fairly in the democratic process. He will also join the people of Sri Lanka in celebrating 75 years of friendship between our two nations.

In visiting Nepal, the Senator will connect with government officials, youth leaders, parliamentarians, and entrepreneurs to further strengthen political and commercial ties between the U.S. and Nepal. He will also highlight U.S. support for the people of Nepal, including through vital investments into the country’s health sector and power and transportation infrastructure.

During his stop in Maldives, the Senator will focus on climate change and clean energy initiatives, and the importance of U.S. security cooperation with the Maldives as a strategic regional partner, and on U.S. support for diversifying Maldives’ economic opportunities.